Schuette: Carp Present 'Clear And Present Danger'

LANSING (WWJ) - A conference in Lansing will bring federal and state officials together with scientists to update representatives of Michigan's fishing and tourism industries on the fight against Asian carp.

Among the speakers is Attorney General Bill Schuette, who says Asian carp present a "clear and present danger" to the Great Lakes.

"[We must] turn on the heat and keep up the pressure to solve the Asian carp problem," said Schutte. "The real crux of this is that the Army Corps of Engineers has a timeline that is 2015, and that's way too late, way too long," he said.

"The fact is, we can send a man to the moon, we ought to be able to stop a fish migrating from the Mississippi River," Schuette said.

Schuette there's a big economic interest in fighting the problem.

"It's about a $7 billion economic industry, with tourism and fishing. And then, secondly, the environment -- we are blessed with 20 percent of the world's fresh water," he said.

Michigan is one of five states suing the federal government and Chicago officials over their operation of shipping locks and a canal that could provide a pathway to Lake Michigan for Asian carp, which some believe could starve out native Great Lakes fish.