Video: Kentucky shocks Asian carp to control spread of invasive fish

Kentucky state workers shocked a huge school of Asian carp that had collected near a dam in the state.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources posted a stunning video that showed hundreds of fish jumping into the air after an electric shock was sent into the water by workers on a boat. The fish dropped back to the water, floated and then were collected by the workers.

The fish, which collected near the Barkley Dam along the Cumberland River, were measured and harvested, according to CNN.

The event was held on media day to highlight a system that is being installed to deter Asian carp from entering Lake Barkley in western Kentucky.

The state is installing a Bio-Acoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) to try to keep the carp out of waterways. The fence casts a barrier of bubbles, sound and light to deflect the noise-sensitive Asian carp from entering an area, according to the state.

Asian carp are an invasive fish introduced in the U.S. and in the 1970s were used to help clean commercial catfish ponds. The fish escaped the ponds and have caused damage to the ecosystems of waterways and rivers, as they have no natural predators in U.S. waters.

The term “Asian carp” usually refers to four species: the bighead, silver, black, and grass carp, according to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, which has also been watching the spread of the fish.