Obama No Threat To Fishing, But What About Asian Carp?

By Staff in News on Mar 21, 2010 7:00PM

Between blog-fueled conspiracy theories and Asian carp, fishing in the Great Lakes has never been higher profile. Conservative blogs were driven to near apoplexy over a rumor sparked by an ESPN column that the President was attempting to outlaw recreational fishing in the Great Lakes. The kerfuffle has been thoroughly debunked by a wide array of media outlets including FOX News, Media Matters, and Deadspin (unusual to see all three of them covering the same story…). ESPN has apologized and tried to set the record straight. Yet protestations of a conspiracy continue unabated.

But, if you listen to the State of Michigan, Asian carp are a much bigger threat to your weekend fishing expedition. And Monday, we will find out if the Supreme Court agrees. As part of their closed-door weekly conference session Friday, the justices discussed whether or not they would grant Michigan’s request to shut down a pair of shipping locks in Chicago-area waterways. Though the justices previously passed on the Great Lakes states’ request for an immediate closure of Chicago waterway locks to slow the invasive carp’s movement, a broader case to address the situation remains before the highest court in the land. And the news that tests showed Asian carp DNA in Lake Michigan’s Calumet Harbor likely bolstered the Wolverine State’s case against the State of Illinois, Army Corps of Engineers, and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. A recent Chicago News Cooperative article painted the long-term solution to the carp problem as a potential economic boon for the region, so maybe there’s a lot to love in this big fish story.

Post by: Josh Mogerman