The Canadian government has commissioned a study in the fight against the Asian carp, fish that have been called the Great Lakes greatest threat.

Fisheries Minister Gail Shea says a joint Canadian-American risk assessment will examine the ways the fish could make their way into the Great Lakes.

The $415,000 study will examine the carp's food supply, and the biological impact the fish could have on the region.

Scientists worry that if the carp make it to Lake Michigan, they could spread to most of the Great Lakes and eat up enough plankton to collapse the entire US$7-billion fishery.

"We've seen what they've done to the Mississippi basin. They're ferocious feeders -- wipe out lower food chain so other fish can't survive," Robert Lambe of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said Tuesday.

The silver carp are also known to jump a metre high out of the water and have caused concussions and broken bones to unsuspecting boaters.

Speaking in Toronto, Shea said she wants to prevent the carp from gaining a foothold in Canada, like they have in the U.S., where they have proliferated since the 1970s.

The U.S. government has poured US$30 million into preventing the carp's spread this year alone and have identified 30 waterways where they could potentially reach the Great Lakes.

Carp can consume up to 40 per cent of their body weight daily. When fully grown they can be 1.2 metres long and up to 45 kilograms.