2 Asian carp found in ponds near Toronto waterfront

[MuskieBait]

One of our iconic northern species, the Northern Pike, also crossed over from the Bering Land Bridge and spread into America. They did not evolved in America, and thus, are not technically native.

On a smaller time scale, yes, nothing is native in Ontario the last glaciation period would cover and kill all the species previously living in prehistoric Ontario. All the species present now migrated and invaded north (from the Mississippi reservoir) as the glacier retreat.

Even now, species are spreading in areas they are not "native" to, where "native" is based on our short colonial time scale. Smallmouth Bass are invading into the Algonquin and Haliburton Highlands, and into areas north of Cochrane. Chain Pickerel are spreading across the St. Lawrence into Ontario from New York, Black Crappie are spreading across the Kawathra. Some of this is natural, some due to man creating passage ways in the form of canals.

That's the beauty of nature, the constant flux that occurs, the constant struggle to find balance as a species invade, or evolve, or disappear. It has been happening for millions of years. It has been the rule as long as there is life. It is how species are spread to the furthest reach of ocean (like the Hawaiian Islands) and how new arrivals in new habitats evolve into new species.

There are some cases, that even with the best of our ability, nature forces her way such that invasive species were unintentionally introduced. A very good example is the Burmese Python invasion in Florida, which can be traced back to a reptile facility that was damaged by Hurricane Andrew. In the process, hundreds of Burmese Python escaped and gave rise to the current population. During the same natural event, many exotic fish species also escaped the aquaculture farms when they were flooded, and many of today's exotic cichlids living in Florida canals can be attributed to that event. OT, I'm sure you are well aware of this.

Coming back to the carp invasion, who are we to blame in the end? The catfish farmers who LEGALLY put in Bighead, Silver and Grass Carp species in their pond to control algae blooms? Or should be blame the state agencies for allowing these carp species to be used as biological control in the first place? Or should we blame city and state land use planner to allow these fish farms to be built on river flood plains with an understanding that escape is a probable reality if flooding does occur? Or should we blame US Corp of Engineers for ever building shipping canals to connect the Mississippi drainage to the Great Lakes?

To think we as human can control all of this is foolish. But to say we should not be vigilant about our own actions is irresponsible. However, if everyone has enough long term vision, maybe we would still have Atlantic Salmon and Lake Sturgeon swimming in Lake Ontario today. The fact is human has a very short vision because our own lifespan is so limited, and in a geological time scale, all of this really means nothing. Another ice age will wipe Ontario into a clean slate once again...and perhaps next time we will have a whole different assemblage of "native" species based on how the glaciers and the subsequent rebound will sculpt our landscape; and thus provide the varying habitat that may be suitable for some species.

This is the way of nature. All of this we are doing is simply to satiate our own sick needs as "Guardians of the Earth" or "Masters of the Earth" if you are more sinister. Nature can really care less what we are doing. She can unleash a catastrophic event (like the Yellowstone Caldera erupting) and wipe us all clean off the Earth with the flex of her pinkie.

** I remember reading somewhere about the revival of Gila Trout. Apparently, the state wildlife agency was having good success bringing back Gila Trout population to a creek, only to have a landslide of volcanic ash bury the creek and destroyed all the efforts. Kinda sinister, you think? We have our intentions...nature has her own.