Flying Carp Attack Rowing Team: Threatening Species Of Fish Fly Out Of Water Aggressively Towards Rowers [Video]

In a freaky scene one wouldn’t believe unless it was recorded on video, flying carp attacked a rowing team in Creve Coeur Lake outside of St. Louis, Missouri. A men’s rowing team from Washington University was making their way down the lake when out of nowhere a school of carp flung themselves out of the water as the rowers went by.

People reports that the fish are an Asian carp species and was introduced into fish farm ponds in the 1970s and eventually invaded American lakes. In fact, many are taking over the Great Lakes. This species of carp is considered invasive and clearly doesn’t take kindly to their territory being disturbed.

Although the carp were surrounding the small boat of rowers and flying out at them, the fish didn’t actually injure anyone. No one was seen in the footage ducking from the fish or scared, but they were caught off guard by the sudden drama.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Silver carp can jump at least 10 feet out of the water and that behavior has resulted in injuries to boaters. Collisions between boaters and jumping silver carp have the potential to cause human fatalities.”

When the flying carp attacked the rowing team, they weren’t successful in killing anyone — or even hurting them for that matter. It’s not something one sees very often — attacking fish that fly at humans in boats.

There are various species of carps besides the Silver carp. The USFWS names the Black carp, Bighead carp, and Grass carp.

Following the flying carp attack of rowers in Missouri, it’s interesting that this tidbit is posted on the website, too: “As large populations of Asian carp become established, cumulative effects of those species include risk to human safety, reductions of native plants that provide spawning and nursery areas for fishes, reduced food for native fishes and waterfowl, and reductions in dollars for regional economies that rely on fishing, boating, and waterfowl hunting.”

In other words, the Asian carp has no benefit inhabiting American lakes. This species is most problematic in the Great Lakes and Mississippi Basin panels. As the USFWS reveals, it leads the development of the National Management and Control Plan for Asian carp. “The Plan will be the blueprint for interagency activities to prevent, manage, and control Asian carp,” the site says.

Asian carp are a threat and wildlife experts are more than aware of this, as efforts are put in place to get some kind of handle on the fish population.

When news hits that flying carp attack a rowing team, it gets the average person’s attention as to how serious a threat the species is.

[Photo Credit: YouTube screenshot]