oaters on the Missouri River beware. You could end up getting clobbered by an ever-increasing menace on the river - the Asian silver carp.

An Arkansas fish farmer first introduced the silver carp to the U.S. from Asia in 1973. They were originally brought in to control algae and plankton in fish farms then managed to escape into the

	The Asian Silver Carp can fly 6-10 feet in the air!

Mississippi River Basin around the early 1980's. They flourished spreading now into the Missouri, Ohio and Illinois Rivers.

These fish can be very dangerous particularly to boaters as they tend to jump as high as 6 to 10 feet in the air, sometimes causing unexpected injuries to boat occupants. People have sustained serious injuries from these flying fish including concussions, broken bones or knocked-out teeth.

It is believed that the silver carp leap because they are reacting to the sound of a boat motor and the pressure change created by the surge of water from a moving vessel. They can be particularly dangerous to water skiers as they tend to jump behind fast-moving boats.

These fish can grow to be 3 to 4 feet long and can weigh as much as 60 lbs. Scientists believe they may be the most abundant large fish on the lower Missouri River. Studies have shown they can move 40 to 50 miles a day.

They are also big eaters. They can consume two to three times their weight in plankton each day. Other native fish also eat plankton so there is direct competition to survive. 

The silver carp is considered a good-eating fish, much like crappie. Bow anglers can be seen standing on custom-made platforms shooting arrows at swimming and leaping carp.

On the Missouri, these fish are most abundant around the mouth of the Platte River but may also be found near wing dikes, where they are protected from the swift current.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed adding the Asian silver carp to a list of injurious fish under the Lacey Act on September 5, 2006. The fish will be featured at the annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Omaha December 3 - 6th.