Headlines From The Outdoors

Attorney General Mike Cox to seek legal action on Asian Carp

Last week MUCC joined the National Wildlife Federation and Great Lakes advocacy groups in urging Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to pursue legal action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, including that which would close navigational locks in Chicago, the last obstacle between the invasive fish and Lake Michigan. This past weekend, Cox announced he would do just that.

Cox sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Illinois, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago demanding that they take action in the immediate and long term, including, potentially, the closing of the locks to ensure the carp will never enter the Great Lakes. In the letter, Cox indicated that he is prepared to take whatever legal action is necessary to protect the Great Lakes.

The call for legal action from MUCC and Great Lakes advocates came nearly two weeks after Great Lakes advocates asked state and federal authorities to immediately close navigational locks in response to new DNA data indicating that the invasive Asian carp had breached an electric fence and were only miles from Lake Michigan. Since then, no action has been taken to close the locks.

As scheduled maintenance began last week on an electric barrier to keep the invasive carp from progressing, state and federal agencies implemented a plan to kill fish contained in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal with chemical treatments.

Asian carp are voracious filter feeders that can grow to more than 4 feet long, weigh up to 100 pounds and quickly dominate a body of water by gobbling up the same food that sustains native fish populations. If they entered the Great Lakes, the invasive carp could significantly impact the Great Lakes diverse sportfishery, valued at roughly $7 billion in economic benefits annually.

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