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John Hollenhorst ReportingGovernment agencies are trying to fix what they call an "ecological disaster" in Utah Lake, but they have a huge job ahead of them. They have to contend with an estimated 100 million carp!
A small fleet of fishing boats is trolling the waters of Utah Lake with a net 400 feet long. They're commanded by commercial fisherman Bill Loy. His family has been pulling carp out of the lake for generations.
Bill Loy, Commercial Fisherman: "I mean, this is nothing but a big carp pond basically."
The lake has about 7.5 million big ones, 100 million if you count the little ones. Fish experts hope to make a dent in the population.
Reed Harris, June Sucker Recovery Program: "It's going to be a tough job, but we can do it."
The goal is to restore a natural ecosystem, in particular, a native endangered species called the June Sucker. The federal government threw nature out of balance in the first place. In the 1800's carp were planted all across America as a food source.
Bill Loy, Commercial Fisherman: "Carp problem isn't just a problem in Utah Lake. It's a problem nationwide."
Carp mess up the ecosystem by pillaging natural vegetation and stirring up sediment.
Reed Harris, June Sucker Recovery Program: "They make the system good for themselves and not good for other fish."
This catch was small compared to the problem. Right now they're just assessing the feasibility of removing a million carp a year.
Reed Harris, June Sucker Recovery Program: "We'll probably have to mechanize, more boats, more people."
Reed Harris, June Sucker Recovery Program: "We know that if we can get rid of carp, the system itself will start to change and we'll start to get plants and other things back in here."
If it works, a few thousand June Suckers may have a better shot at survival among tens of millions of carp. They hope the sale of carp might offset the cost of the program. One potential hang up is the recent discovery of PCB pollution in the lake, which could limit the marketability.
