Illinois Natural History Survey Invasive Carp Satellite Tags to Inform Harvest (INHSCARPSATTAGS)

Harvest is the primary management strategy for invasive carp, however, especially in low to medium density populations, efficient harvest can be challenging. Although passive acoustic telemetry systems can help guide management efforts, telemetry application is typically spatially and temporally limited, whereas GPS satellite tags offer real-time positioning to increase efficiency and effectiveness of harvest. The objective of our study is to evaluate GPS tagged Silver Carp and use of drones to guide and increase invasive carp harvest in the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois River. Silver Carp dual tagged with acoustic tags and externally attached GPS satellite transmitters will provide real-time data with up to 18m of accuracy. Eighty transmitters will be deployed in Pools 2 through 19 of the Mississippi River and twenty tags deployed in the Dresden Island Pool of the Illinois River. Drones will serve three roles, (1) help validate accuracy of GPS-enabled tags, (2) locate and quantify aggregations of silver carp informed by GPS and acoustic tags and (3) guide fine scale positioning of nets for enhanced removal. Since invasive carp are known to shoal, tagged fish may represent larger aggregations, which commercial fishers may target to increase harvest efficiency and locate aggregation areas that were previously unknown. We will compare harvest data between fishers that did or did not use tag guidance to determine transmitter value in different river locations. These technologies may lead to more efficient monitoring and management practices of Silver Carp in the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River.

Points of Contact

• Abigail Roussin

  Illinois Natural History Survey

  Researcher

• Jim Lamer

  Illinois Natural History Survey

  Principal Investigator