Asian carp found near Lake Michigan
Michiana lawmakers are calling for action after an Asian carp was found just nine miles from Lake Michigan.
There’s a deep concern that Asian carp getting into the lake could mean an unraveling of the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing industry.
An 8-pound silver carp was found last week in a Chicago waterway, right near Lake Michigan.
It managed to swim past an electric barrier used to protect the Great Lakes from the species.
Asian carp are capable of destroying whole ecosystems because they essentially come into a new place and take over by eating food other fish rely on.
Congressman Fred Upton, of Michigan’s 6th District, is one of several Michiana lawmakers responding to this find.
He said in a statement:
“The time to act is now. I am calling on the Trump administration to immediately release the Brandon Road Study so that we can have a full grasp of our options to stop this destructive force. Asian Carp have the potential to decimate the Great Lakes we all love and depend on. It is absolutely imperative we step up our efforts to further protect our lakes.”
The Brandon Road Study is a new plan to prevent Asian carp from coming to the Great Lakes.
It was completed by the Army Corps of Engineers and was set to be released this past February, but the Trump Administration has delayed the release.
It should also be noted that the fight against Asian carp is a big component of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but President Trump’s proposed budget would cut all funding for the initiative in 2018.
Michigan State Senator John Proos, of Michigan’s 21st District, also weighed in.
He said in a statement:
“If Asian carp were to get into Lake Michigan, they would forever change the way of life in and along the Great Lakes, out-competing native fish and threatening a $7 billion sport and commercial fishery…Given the permanent economic and environmental disaster that would result from an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes, it is alarming that the federal government is doing nothing while these voracious eaters inch close to Lake Michigan.”