A Busy Week for the U.S. Carp Professionals and Canadian Carp Cops

February 8 was the twelfth and final regional NEPA Public Scoping Meeting conducted by the Chicago Army Corps of Engineers Office on GLMRIS, (the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study.)  In English, that means “How are we going to keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes”  The meeting was in Ann Arbor and was well attended.

John Goss, President Obama’s Carp Czar attended the meeting.  Mr. Goss’ background includes serving as Indiana’s DNR under two governors and for four years as the executive director of the Indiana National Wildlife Federation.  See: http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/09/us-names-asian-carp-czar.html

As the twelfth in the series of NEPA meetings on the Asian carp problem from Minneapolis to New Orleans, it was a well-orchestrated presentation followed by an opportunity to ask questions and make comments.  Comments can also be submitted in writing or on-line until the end of the month.  Major General John Peabody, head of the Army Corps’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division led the meeting.

For more background information or to comment, see the GLMRIS NEPA website at: http://glmris.anl.gov/involve/whatisscoping/index.cfm .  All of the public comments, both written and oral, will be put on-line next month.

The oral comments were overwhelmingly in favor of preventing the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and doing it quickly.  Many of the public comments sought to clarify that prevention should mean 100% prohibition and not just “discouraging entry” to some level deemed economically feasible based on a Corps analysis.  Many comments also addressed the need for a sense of urgency and considered the five year scoping study timeframe unacceptable, citing the fact that it had been more than a decade since Asian carp escaped from a southern fish farm.  

Reportedly, the fish were first imported in the 1970’s to southern fish farms.  http://detnews.com/article/20110308/METRO/103080373/Feds-defend-carp-strategy-at-Ypsilanti-meeting

A SCARY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARP STORY

While the Carp Czar and the Chicago Corps were meeting with the public to scope their study, reports of live Asian Carp crossing both the St Clair and Detroit Rivers were reaching the press.  Of course, at the present time, the carp had to do this by truck and, fortunately, they were stopped by the Ontario law enforcement officials.  It seems Ontario has wisely already outlawed the transport of live Asian carp.

The Detroit River crossing was first reported over the weekend.  The St. Clair River Crossing was first reported on Tuesday.  During the week the story expanded and, by Friday, we learned from D’Arcy Egan of the Plain Dealer that the Toronto Chinese community sometimes celebrate with a pair of live Carp by eating one and releasing the other for good luck.  Egan’s article is at http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2011/03/sales_of_live_asian_carp_threa.html   

For many of the other carp articles this past week, check the GLIN.net archives at:  http://www.glin.net/news/inthenews.html

ANOTHER EXTENSIVE CARP INFORMATION SOURCE

In an earlier post, I mentioned finding references to the introduction of German carp to the Great Lakes area by the federal government.  At the time, I was trying to understand the differences between historic Lake Erie fishing practices employing seine fishing and pound fishing technology.  As a byproduct of that research, I have now found an excellent on-line information source on the entire German carp importation history and its effects.

For those of you wanting to understand what damages the Asian carp can do in greater detail, check out the 1904 Report of the Bureau of Fisheries.  Pages 524-641 present a factual retrospective analysis of the last carp crisis on the Great Lakes after the damage was done.  The entire report is on-line at:  http://www.archive.org/details/reportofbureauoff1904unit

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE AND WHAT CAN YOU DO?

There are two disturbing things about this week’s Asian carp developments. 

·        First, they are here already, having come by truck. 

·        Second, some were trucked in by a Peru, Indiana, fish farm operator. 

Sort of makes you wonder if the Great Lakes states should copy and enforce the law used in Ontario.  Let’s stop the carp before they reach the Bluewater and Ambassador Bridges.  Doesn’t sound too hard to me and doesn’t require a five year scoping study  - just find and copy the Canadian law.

Unfortunately, I’m sure the Chicago Army Corps Office will correctly find that such laws are beyond their jurisdiction.  However, maybe we can seek the help of the Carp Czar, who is also from Indiana, (a Great Lakes State,) has run a Department of Natural Resources, and is connected in high places.  Just a thought.  Start writing your state officials if you care.