Great Lakes Fishery Commission applauds Trump's interest in Asian carp migration prevention
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission says it is hopeful that efforts to prevent Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes will continue as planned, given this week's discussion at the White House.
During Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's visit to the Oval Office Wednesday, there was a discussion among her, President Trump, and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall about the need to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes waters.
The fisheries commission said Friday that it lauded those efforts, saying it had "renewed hope that key projects, like the one underway at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, will be completed as planned." The commission has been involved in bipartsan efforts to deal with the ecological situation.
"Asian carps would devastate the Great Lakes fishery if they were allowed to enter the system," said Commission Chairman Ethan Baker, who is also the Mayor of Troy, Michigan. "We must do everything we can to keep them out. The multi-billion-dollar fishery is at stake."
"Asian carp" collectively refers to three species of fish — bighead, silver and black carp —that are native to Asia and originally raised for food. They were also considered a means to keep water free of algae and other vegetation.
Such fish escaped accidentally into public waterways in the southern United States decades ago. They are now considered an invasive species, eating massive quantities of food. Fisheries experts say it takes only a few fish for a population to settle into a region.
"We have every reason to be deeply worried about Asian carp," Baker said. "The carps have decimated the fisheries in every waterway they have invaded already — primarily the Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers.".
An electrical barrier was placed near Romeoville, Illinois, to prevent the carp from migrating further.
The next major project is a retrofitting of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Michigan and Illinois have already contributed state funding, the project has bipartisan support from Congress. Baker said the commission is "very much encouraged by the president's promise to act."