The Advancing Threat of Asian Carp
Attention is focused on the potential introduction of two Asian carp species – bighead and silver – into the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River basin through the Chicago Area Waterway System. Several bills were introduced in Congress to address this issue. Asian carp, considered an invasive species by the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, are a significant threat to the Great Lakes' recreational fisheries. Carp populations have the potential to expand rapidly and change the ecosystem composition of the Great Lakes. This will significantly harm the $7 billion annual sportfishing economy in the Great Lakes region.
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Background
Asian carp escaped into the Mississippi River from southern aquaculture facilities in the early 1990s when the facilities were flooded. Steadily, the carp made their way northward, becoming the most abundant species in many areas of the Mississippi; out-competing native fish and causing severe hardship to the anglers who fish the river.
The Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal connects the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes. Currently, the only barrier to prevent carp from entering Lake Michigan is an electric barrier along the canal. Recently however, an Asian carp was found beyond the electric barrier – just six miles from Lake Michigan. Asian carp are voracious feeders and if allowed to enter the Great Lakes, they will quickly out-compete the forage base of valuable sport fish such as walleye, trout and salmon, creating the potential for large-scale ecosystem devastation.
On February 8, 2010, the governors of the Great Lakes states met with federal officials to discuss strategies to combat the spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes. The strategy meeting resulted in a $78.5 million plan to further restrict the movement of Asian carp. The efforts include nearly $24 million for construction of two additional electric fish barriers and $5 million for chemical treatments. The plan also calls for researching additional ways to control the expansion of Asian carp, such as sonic barriers, as well as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' study on permanently closing the locks in the Chicago canal.
On March 3, 2011, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Representative Dave Camp (R-Mich.) introduced the Stop Asian Carp Act into both chambers of Congress (S. 471 and H.R. 892). These bills will help protect the Great Lakes’ $7 billion sportfishing industry by requiring the Army Corps of Engineers, within a year and a half, to prepare an action plan to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. These bills will expedite current efforts to stop the spread of the Asian carp.
The Sportfishing Industry's Efforts
The sportfishing industry has been involved in aquatic invasive species issues for many years, including numerous written and oral communications with the Executive and Legislative branches about the importance of taking specific and timely steps to control Asian carp. In addition to commenting on and supporting various bills in Congress, the sportfishing industry has worked with the Department of Interior to assure that actions available to the Department are taken in a timely manner. The industry has supported the appropriations for the electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary Canal since it was proposed.
Members of the sportfishing industry have spoken in support of legislation to control Asian Carp before both the House Natural Resources Committee in November 2005 and the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works' Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife in December 2009.
On December 14, 2010 President Obama signed the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (S. 1421) into law. The bill, which was sponsored by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio), was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on November 17, 2010 and approved in the House of Representatives on December 1, 2010. This legislation lists the bighead carp as an invasive species under the Lacey Act, prohibiting the interstate transportation or importation of live bighead carp without a permit.
