Five States Sue Over Invasion of Asian Carp

(CBS/AP)  Five states are suing the federal government and Chicago's water department in federal court, demanding stronger action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania filed the lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in northern Illinois.

It seeks an order to close Chicago shipping locks and gates that could provide a pathway to Lake Michigan for the voracious fish.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused twice this year to order the locks closed.

State officials say the situation has become more urgent since a live Asian carp was found within a few miles of Lake Michigan last month.

It was the first time the fish was found beyond electric barriers constructed to keep the dreaded invasive species out of the Great Lakes.

Commercial fishermen had found the 3-foot-long, 20-pound carp in Lake Calumet on Chicago's South Side, about six miles downstream of Lake Michigan, according to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.

The carp were imported from China in the 1970s to clean southern fish hatcheries of algae. But floods in the 1990s swept them into the Mississippi and its tributaries, including the Illinois River and the shipping canal that connects that river to Lake Michigan.

The voracious eaters consume 40 percent of their weight every day. They spawn three times a year - and have no known predators.

Scientists and fishermen fear that if the carp (which can grow to 100 pounds and 4 feet in length) become established in the Great Lakes, they could starve out popular sport fish and ruin the region's $7 billion fishing industry.

The suit also asks for an expedited study of permanently separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

[p_syrus]

Nice to see unregulated free market capitalism doing so much to improve life in these united states. :-D

[zebra8835]

Grind them up mixed with a percentage of white fish. Season them up and make into patties, box and freeze them and give them out to the poor. They'd probably be a lot better than the current fish sticks that are half breading and little fish. Pickled like herring they would probably be delicious in a sweet dill brine. Or, one final recipe... fillet the carp and smoke over a fruit wood fire for three days on a cedar plank then, throw the fish away and eat the board!

[wfw3536]

Wherre is Obama and the federal government? I guess he is more interested in protecting his friends in Chicago. He and his administration will let our great lakes be taken over by the Asian Crap just like he failed to do take much of an interest in the gulf until millions of gallons of oil had spilled. How sad.

[AtLasOn1Kl733]

We've got the Mexicans coming in from the South and the Asians coming in from the North. I think we're being invaded.

[uisignorant]

Someone please tell me 1 imported species that has worked out?

[uniquelyanonymous]

The free market of the fish world will find a balance. In all seriousness... this is a big issue. The barge traffic running through the chicago canal is the only thing holding this up. We are going let the lakes die in order to protect an industry that could easily redirect by rail or other routes.

On the bright side, when all the fish in the great lakes are dead except the carp, prices for lakeside vacation rentals are going to plummet. I'm not much of a fisherman, so a dead lake will be just as pretty to me.

[rightbehind]

Absolutely ridiculous. It's a big nasty fish. Nature itself predicates survival of the fittest. The money would be better spent on scientist or maybe cooks to beat these big nasty fish instead of on lawyers. Might as well throw paper at them. Want to beat them? Make them tasty!