Levin Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Help Prevent Asian Carp from Entering the Great Lakes

WASHINGTON — As Asian carp continue to wreak havoc on the native fish populations in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) today introduced legislation to help guard against the fish from making their way into the Great Lakes. The Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act, which Levin introduced today along with Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), would add the bighead carp species of Asian carp to a list of injurious species that are prohibited from being imported or shipped in the United States.

“Asian carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes because they are large, extremely prolific, and consume vast amounts of food,” Sen. Levin said. “As we’ve seen in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, bighead carp are a huge threat to native fish species, they’re a hazard to boaters, and they damage property and cause injuries. We must do everything possible to stop these fish from reaching the Great Lakes and causing the damage we’ve seen in other waters across the country.”

The Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act would list the bighead carp as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act, which was originally passed by Congress in 1900 and amended in 1981. The Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 make it unlawful to import, export, transport, buy or sell fish, wildlife and plants taken or possessed in violation of federal, state or tribal law. Listing the bighead species of Asian carp under the Lacey Act would help prevent the intentional introduction of the species by prohibiting the interstate transportation or importation of live Asian carp without a permit. This legislation would not interfere with existing state regulations of Asian carp, and it would allow states to issue permits to transport or purchase live Asian carp for scientific, medical or educational purposes. The Fish and Wildlife Service has already listed other species of Asian carp as injurious under the Lacey Act

Originally introduced into the United States as a management tool for aquaculture farms and sewage treatment facilities, Asian carp are voracious eaters that can grow up to six feet and 110 pounds. These exotic species were first used in Louisiana catfish farms in the 1970s to control snails and vegetation. In the mid 1990s, flooding allowed the Asian carp to escape from fish farms. They have spread to most of the Mississippi River watershed and the Missouri River, devastating the food resources and habitats of native and sport fish populations. The bighead carp, along with the other species of Asian carp, now account for the majority of fish in the Missouri River.

Because the Mississippi River is connected to the Great Lakes through a man-made sanitary and ship canal, Asian carp are now close to entering the Great Lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers is operating an electric dispersal barrier to prevent the carp and other non-native fish from moving between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.

In addition to Levin and Voinovich, other cosponsors of the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act include Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).