Congress wants cash to fight carp
AP Environmental Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Members of Congress say they’ll seek $20 million to study using poisons to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.
Securing the money was among several steps agreed on by lawmakers from the Great Lakes region during a meeting Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, who hosted the session, tells The Associated Press the bipartisan group did not resolve a disagreement over whether to close shipping locks and gates at Chicago that could give the carp a pathway to Lake Michigan.
Several states are suing to close the locks, which Illinois officials and the Obama administration oppose.
But Durbin says the lawmakers endorsed other measures, including working with the Army Corps of Engineers to strengthen an electronic barrier on Chicago-area waterways.
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Just as I predicted back on the 22nd when they announced the Asian Carp Summit….............. “millions to STUDY”. Not to remove carp, not to poison carp, not to give away carp sandwiches, but 20 million to “STUDY”. It’s the same old thing, spend tax dollars to keep the researchers, academics, and bureacrats employed with “studies”. They will spend millions to “study” dredging a lake and never move a bucketfull of dirt. They will spend millions to “study” a species and never plant the first tree for habitat. Protect and preserve (the bureaucracy) is rule number one.
Just add that to the 3 million that Gov. Quinn sign into law for a one-year pilot study to see if over fishing would be meaningful. Now that we have Richard H—- Durbin on the job the money will really fly out the window.
Maybe the money should come out of the budget of whatever gov. agency that allowed this to happen instead of the taxpayers. It’s called accountability.
Welcome to life in ‘the People’s Republic of Illinois’.
Poisoning the Great Lakes will not only kill fish but it will also kill many sport fishing jobs. Chemical poisons aren’t the answer.
Here are two suggestions: 1. Increase the amount of commercial fishermen to harvest Asian Carp. There is a market for Asian Carp. 2. Increase stocking of predator fish (i.e… Northern Pike; Musky; Walleye; Smallmouth Bass; & Largemouth Bass) into the Great Lakes. At least these predator fish will eat the Asian Carp offspring.
You can get $0.10/lb for Asian Carp…not worth the gas unless your a big time commercial fisherman. Just what we need, poison coming from Chicago…used to be raw sewage. How about we move upstream of Chicago so they can drink our waste products.
There are so many ways invasive fish can enter the lakes.
1. Caught by predator bird and dropped
2. Some idiot disposes of them by “accident” in the lake system…only takes a breeding pair.
3. Tornados/floods. Which is how they entered our river system.
4. Act of Terrorism
5. Little Johnny wants to take one home and show his parents but must dispose of it since Ma and Pa have enough pets.
6. Bone head factor. Nothing like an unhappy camper to deliberately introduce the species.
I think your right esox64 They are going to have to do somthing.I can only feed the coons so much. Maybe they should invest in comecial fishing. It
would be better than spending 20 million on some Bio just for him to say Yes You have a problem. Then watch them do nothing Or spend the money on preditor fish in the river.Have mich and wis flip part of the bill it just not our problem its all of ours
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