Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Halvorson Tour Illinois River with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Illinois DNR to Learn about Asian Carp
Published on Aug 10, 2010 - In: News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2010
Ryan Aylesworth
612-713-5311
Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Halvorson Tour Illinois River with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Illinois DNR to Learn about Asian Carp
On August 9, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) organized a site visit and boat tour of a section the Illinois River near Starved Rock State Park at the request of U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-IL-11). The event was organized in coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and commercial fishermen engaged in ongoing Asian carp population control efforts. The tour allowed both Members of Congress to get a firsthand glimpse of the threat that invasive Asian carp pose to the aquatic systems. From their boat, Durbin and Halvorson were able to observe Service and DNR biologists apply electro-fishing techniques that force Asian carp to breach the surface, as well as gill-netting and other standard sampling practices.
In recent weeks, Service and IDNR biologists have used nets and electro-fishing in the waters of the Illinois River near Starved Rock Park to capture approximately 100,000 pounds of Asian carp, which represents only a small portion the carp population believed to be present in that section of the river. These efforts are supported in large part by the roughly $15.5 million made available under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) in the 2010 fiscal year to fund Asian carp removal in the Great Lakes states.
2 Responses to Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Halvorson Tour Illinois River with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Illinois DNR to Learn about Asian Carp
Tim
September 4th, 2010 at 1:40 am
I’m glad to see that senators and congressmen are taking notice of this severe problem that could change the entire ecosystems of our Great Lakes.
Corey J. Conn
September 16th, 2010 at 2:27 am
Thank you, Senator Durbin. It is indeed possible to detain these invasive fish outside of the Great Lakes basin if only well-coordinated actions are taken now. As a life-long user of row-boats, very small sailboats and, most recently, kayaks on Lake Michigan, I have made use of the locks at Chicago many times. I would, however, gladly adapt to *whatever* restrictions might result from truly effective measures to prevent the further spread of these voracious feeders into the lower Great Lakes and northward in their natural drive toward colder waters offfered at the mouths of Canadian rivers.
I hope your experience on the boats was as unnerving and disorenting in person as videos of similar such expeditions (on line) have been for me. Please do your best on this matter — it is clearly a case of “an ounce of prevention.”
Regards,
Corey J. Conn
3936 W. George St.
Chicago, IL 60618