Romeoville, IL – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) issued the following statement today after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Coast Guard to announce a planned increase in the operating parameters for the electric fish barrier protecting Lake Michigan from the invasive Asian Carp:
 
           “Bringing the Asian Carp barrier up to full capacity has been a long time coming, and this marks another important milestone in that effort.  I’m pleased to see that the Army Corps is wasting no time in responding to the latest testing which indicates this voracious invasive species is far closer to reaching the fragile Great Lakes ecosystem than thought before.  In Chicago, our lake is our treasure, and protecting this beautiful natural resource requires the continued coordination of federal and local officials, environmental stakeholders, and the maritime community.  I’m proud to be part of this critical effort.”
 
Editor’s Note:  Since 2002, Biggert, a long-time advocate for preservation of the Great Lakes, has championed funding and authorization language for the original demonstration barrier and construction of new permanent barrier in the Romeoville area to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.  The barrier is designed to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species like the Asian Carp through the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal in Illinois, the only link between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.  Asian Carp prey on and compete with native species for food, living space, and spawning areas.  Individual fish can grow to between 50 and 150 pounds and eat up to 40 percent of their body weight every day.  Marine biologists say that if the Asian Carp enter the Great Lakes, they would devastate the ecosystem and endanger the multi-billion dollar Midwest commercial fishing industry.
 
Currently, Biggert also is the sponsor of legislation, H.R. 3173, to add the Bighead Asian Carp to a list of injurious species under the Lacey Act and prevent the sale or importation of the fish in the U.S.
 
For more information on today’s announcement from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, visit http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil.