Chicago, IL (August 18, 2017) – The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) officials today announced that an autopsy of the Asian carp caught just nine miles from Lake Michigan on June 23 found that the fish originated below the electric barriers. The barriers are the last line of defense before Lake Michigan. The Alliance for the Great Lakes has released the following statement:
“Today’s news that the Asian carp found just nine miles from Lake Michigan earlier this summer originated below the electric barriers means that the time for talk is over. The barriers are the last line of defense before Lake Michigan. This is the biggest warning signal to date that Asian carp are a clear threat to Lake Michigan.
It is critical that all of the solutions put on the table in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ recently released Brandon Road Lock & Dam Study – from technology to lock closure – must be examined closely. None of these options, including lock closure, should be removed from consideration.
Despite mounting evidence that the situation is increasingly dire, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and his administration have obstructed progress every step of the way in efforts to implement additional protection measures to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. With today’s announcement, any stalling or obstructionism by government officials will clearly be placing all of the Great Lakes at significant risk.
As an immediate next step, the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee must commence additional Asian carp monitoring of the Little Calumet River and the Chicago Waterways System. ”
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Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, (312) 445-9760, jcaddick@greatlakes.org