Nearly 30 invasive carp pulled from Mississippi River in herding operation Minnesota and federal agencies herd the fish with nets and sound. April 9, 2021 7:17pm Text size Copy shortlink:
About 30 more invasive carp were pulled out of the Mississippi River this week, suggesting that the destructive fish may have established a foothold in Minnesota.
The silver and grass carp were caught in shallow backwaters of the river s Pool 8, near La Crosse, Wis., just above the southernmost lock and dam in Minnesota.
More than 50 of the carp were caught in the same pool last spring, and another 14 were caught earlier this year.
Despite the high numbers, however, it s still unknown if enough invasive carp are above the dam to successfully breed or establish permanent populations in the state, said Ben Larson, invasive carp field lead for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Roadside fences show promise for reducing Minnesota turtle fatalities Turtle populations have been falling for years, in large part due to traffic. April 6, 2021 3:41pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Four small chain-link fences have saved about 100 turtles a year from being crushed to death on Minnesota roads.
The fences, installed over the last three years, have cut mortalties by as much as 85% at popular turtle crossings, showing they may be a relatively cheap and effective tool for bringing the state s turtle populations back. The ones that are still getting hit are the really small hatchlings that can fit through these half-inch gaps, said Tricia Markle, a wildlife conservation specialist for the Minnesota Zoo. So we re adding a finer mesh screen and think we can even keep out the really small turtles.
Lead contamination found in 7% of donated Minnesota venison startribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from startribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As trumpeter swans die, Minnesota lawmakers consider banning lead jigs and fishing tackle Educational campaigns about toxic effects in lakes have had little effect. February 24, 2021 11:02am Text size Copy shortlink:
State lawmakers are looking at banning lead fishing tackle, targeting the most common sinkers and jigs on the market.
The small bits of lead, which have been building up on lake bottoms for decades, are poisoning and killing trumpeter swans, loons, bald eagles and other wildlife.
Swans and loons are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning from tackle, diving to the bottoms of lakes to scoop up small slip shots and other sinkers as if they were gravel to grind up and help digest their food.