Invasive Fish Encroaching on the Great Lakes While Army Corps Study Languishes

Business interests are likely to clash as fisherman find evidence of the progress of Asian carp toward the Great Lakes. The Trump Administration delayed a study of the issue earlier this year.

1 minute read

June 23, 2017, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Invasive Species

Asian Carp in the Wabash River. | LouisvilleUSACE / Flickr

John Flesher reports for the Associated Press about the encroachment of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, after live Asian carp were found about nine miles from Lake Michigan, beyond an electric barrier designed to keep them out.

Scientists and a $7 billion fishing industry fear the fish for its ability to decimate the food chain. The Mississippi River has already been infected with the invasive species.

Several members of Congress introduced legislation this week to force the Trump Administration to release a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of potential defenses against the fish at Brandon Road Lock and Dam, near Joliet, Illinois. The study was scheduled for release in February, but as reported by Sabrina Eaton reported at that time, "GOP congress members wrote to the president fretting that the plan might disrupt commerce on Chicago-area waterways."

Friday, June 23, 2017 in AP via Chicago Tribune

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