Asian Carp Barrier Spending Approve!

Ohio Senators, George Voinovich and Mike DeWine and Rep. David Hobson were in­strumental in putting an extra $1.825 mil­lion in a 2005 District of Columbia spend­ing bill to enhance and finish the new elec­tric barrier fence on the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal. President George W. Bush is expected to sign the bill.

 Present at the announcement were Ohio Senator George Voinovich, Ohio Senator Mike DeWine, EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt, Ohio director of the Dept. of Natural Resources Sam Speck, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Co!. Johnson, LECBA Presi­dent Robert Collins and Michael Matta advisory board member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Collins said "The 850 plus Ohio Charter Captains, members of the LECBA and the 100's of thousands of Ohioans that enjoy the lake would be negatively affected if these carp got in and disrupted the walleye, perch, and smallmouth bass fishing that are so important to us."

 "This Asian Carp Barrier, for the first time I can recall, will prevent the invasion of a foreign species into the great lakes. Asian Carp could wreck the $4.5 billion Great Lakes fishing and recreation industry if they get in to Lake Erie and other great Lakes." Collins added.

 The species threatening the Great Lakes are called Asian carp to differentiate them from the common carp.

 1. Silver carp, which can reach 60 pounds.
 2. Bighead carp, which can top 100 pounds.
 3. Black carp, escaped in the 1990's.

 The western end of Lake Erie, between Monroe and Sandusky, is the shallowest, warmest, and most-prolific area of the Great Lakes for fish spawning. Much of the local Lake Erie tourism is based around the sport­fishing industry.

 The Lake Erie resource is important to Ohio, the counties along the north shore, and specifically to the charter and other recreation-related businesses. It has been for a long time and we need to ensure that fishing remains a viable activity for a long time to come.

 It is really great to see the timely support for actions that will prevent nuisance spe­cies from coming to the Great Lakes. Once they are here it is nearly impossible to con­trol them. Sea Lamprey invasions devas­tated fisheries in the last century and we now pay the price for control measures every year.

Even though not every exotic species is harmful, we can't afford to take the risk and let them invade our lakes and rivers. Fish­ing is a risky enough business and fisher­men don't need the added worry of having exotics upset the food chain and ruin good, healthy fisheries.

 Unlike some other environmental problems, aquatic nuisance species introductions are usually permanent! We can't clean them up like an oil spill.

 Government at all levels are involved in this fight to prevent Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes. The charter industry appre­ciates the collective efforts of city (Chicago), state, and, federal governments on this one! That is what it is going to take to win this battle.

Reprinted from volume 2 issue 23 of "Charter Chatter", courtesy of LECBA. 

© 2004 ODNR, Division of Wildlife