Michigan Wants Congress to Deal With Carp Problem

Carpgate 2009 carries on, with the Michigan state legislation passing a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate and drastic action to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The fish, which can weigh up to 100 pounds, would destroy the lakes' ecosystem, and jeopardize billions of dollars in annual fishing industry revenue. Michigan Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, who sponsored the measure, says, "The Asian carp is perhaps the largest threat to the Great Lakes in our generation. This is something our economy, our lifestyle and our culture cannot sustain."

A group of legislators from the various states bordering the Great Lakes also sent a letter to the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force members (which includes Sens. Dick Durbin and Roland Burris, and Rep. Mark Kirk, who is a co-chair) asking them to close the locks on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, increase the voltage of electrical barriers, start construction of emergency measures to stop the carp effective immediately, and create a "permanent ecological separation between the Great Lakes and the Chicago Waterway System."

Congress previously approved $6 million for the carp fight in October, and this week $13 million more was approved to be spent from the Great Lakes Restoration fund in light of carp DNA appearing only 7 miles away from Lake Michigan waters.