Silver aliens are invading U.S. waters! They leap into boats. They gobble up food other fish need to survive.

Asian carp are big fish. They can be three feet long and weigh close to a hundred pounds. And they can be a big problem. But don’t blame fish. Blame people.

China is on the continent of Asia. It is home to these carp. Fish farmers brought some to the southern United States in the 1970s. Like living vacuum cleaners, they cleared ponds of weeds and parasites.

But Asian carp were not just hungry when they were in the right place. They were also hungry when they were in the wrong place.

And they did get into the wrong place.

Pond water drains into streams, and stream water drains into rivers, and river water fills lakes. So guess what travels with the water? Fish, of course!

Now Asian carp have spread to 12 states, and they are nearing the Great Lakes.

People caused the problem. Can people solve it? Maybe.

Asian carp were brought to the U.S. to eat. Now they are being sent home to be eaten. Americans are not used to the taste, but in China Asian carp are a favorite food. So some fishing businesses are shipping frozen carp to China.

Yes, Asia is the right place for Asian carp—on a dinner plate.