Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-13th-IL) today applauded the addition of Bighead Asian carp to a list of species banned from the U.S.  The fish, which can rapidly displace native species, are currently threatening the Great Lakes ecosystem.  A new law sponsored by Biggert prohibits the importation or transportation of live carp, including viable eggs, across state lines.  The ban goes into effect Tuesday when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to publish its final rule in the Federal Register.

           “This is a long-overdue victory for wildlife preservation,” said Biggert, who has championed a series of measures since 2002 to repel Asian carp from Illinois waters.  “These carp were originally brought to U.S. waters in the 1970’s by southern fish farmers as a way to cleanse breeding ponds.  Since then, they have caused tremendous ecological and economic damage.  This ban will ensure that other fragile ecosystems aren’t exposed to the same biological threat.”

           Introduced in the Senate by Carl Levin (D-MI) and in the House by Biggert, the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act was signed into law on December 14, 2010.  The law adds the Bighead species of Asian carp to a list of injurious species under the Lacey Act, which carries a penalty for transporting the fish across state lines of up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine for an individual or a $10,000 fine for an organization.  Other Asian carp (the black carp, silver carp, and largescale silver carp) were added to the list in 2007, but last June, federal wildlife managers found a single Bighead carp in Lake Calumet -- the first time an Asian carp had been confirmed in waters north of the electronic barrier system near Romeoville, Illinois.

           “I’m very pleased we were able to work with our colleagues from Michigan to secure enactment of this measure, and grateful for the support of my colleagues from throughout the Great Lakes,” said Biggert.  “We must protect Lake Michigan, and we must do it in a way that preserves the jobs that depend on Midwest waterways” 

           The ban does not apply to dead carp, and allows the transportation of the fish by permit for zoological, education, medical, or scientific purposes.  For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Fisheries/asian-carp.html.

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