13/07/2010 12:40 PM
Engineers have been trying out a variety of fencing solutions to try and stop carp from entering America's Great Lakes.
Asian carp were found in Lake Calumet in Chicago last week, raising concerns the fish will get into the great lakes system and cause severe environmental damage, according to Milwaukee Public Radio.
Talking to the station, Dr Phil Moy, a fisheries and invasive species specialist at the University of Wisconsin, explained the temporary fencing solutions that had been used to block out carp.
A team of army engineers originally installed an electric barrier across Chicago's sanitation and ship canal.
But a problem occurred when the barriers had to be switched off - the carp jumped at the chance to burst through the security fencing.
"We didn't realise it. We turned off the electricity and then these fish just swam through," Mr Moy told the news source.
Now, this November a stronger, acoustic fencing barrier will be erected to work alongside the existing security fence.
This is because carp have sensitive hearing. It is hoped that carp would fail to cope with the unacceptable level of sound and turn back from the acoustic fencing before they reach the canal, the news provider said.
Earlier this year acoustic fencing was erected to combat traffic noise in Leicester.
Asian carp were found in Lake Calumet in Chicago last week, raising concerns the fish will get into the great lakes system and cause severe environmental damage, according to Milwaukee Public Radio.
Talking to the station, Dr Phil Moy, a fisheries and invasive species specialist at the University of Wisconsin, explained the temporary fencing solutions that had been used to block out carp.
A team of army engineers originally installed an electric barrier across Chicago's sanitation and ship canal.
But a problem occurred when the barriers had to be switched off - the carp jumped at the chance to burst through the security fencing.
"We didn't realise it. We turned off the electricity and then these fish just swam through," Mr Moy told the news source.
Now, this November a stronger, acoustic fencing barrier will be erected to work alongside the existing security fence.
This is because carp have sensitive hearing. It is hoped that carp would fail to cope with the unacceptable level of sound and turn back from the acoustic fencing before they reach the canal, the news provider said.
Earlier this year acoustic fencing was erected to combat traffic noise in Leicester.
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