Chicago, IL (June 22, 2022) – Earlier today, the state of Illinois announced an effort to rebrand and increase marketing of invasive carp as a food source. In reaction, Alliance for the Great Lakes Chief Operating Office and Vice President of Policy Molly Flanagan made the following statement:
“While we appreciate Illinois’ marketing efforts to address the growing threat of invasive carp, more carp (or “Copi”) making its way to consumers’ plates will not fix the problem. The state must keep its eye on the long game and focus on building protections at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam that are essential to keeping invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
We have been pleased to see that fortifying Brandon Road is a priority for Congress and the Biden administration: We saw a historic federal investment earlier this year to fully fund the initial phase of the project (preconstruction, engineering and design, and the first year of construction). But we can’t rest on our laurels — we need to ensure momentum continues in order to get the Brandon Road project built. If the state is serious about addressing the threat of invasive carp, Illinois must step up and work collaboratively with other Great Lakes states to fund the local portion of the construction phase of the project and keep invasive carp out of the lakes. Illinois must also sign an agreement with the Corps by the end of the year to keep the project on schedule. We look forward to working with Illinois and other Great Lakes states to ensure the local share is funded.”
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Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org