Gov. Jim Doyle called Tuesday for a summit between the governors of the Great Lakes states and the White House to address the threat of invasive species to the Great Lakes system.
The announcement came after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Michigan force Chicago to close waterway locks, which is seen by the Great Lakes states as essential to stopping the spread of the Asian carp.
A Dec. 8 water test found the DNA of the Asian carp in Lake Michigan waters near Chicago, said Phil Moy, a specialist on fisheries and invasive species at the University of Wisconsin.
According to Moy, the presence of Asian carp could upset the balance of the food chain in the Great Lakes system. If the new carp species becomes established they will compete with native fish for food.
He added the competition for plankton would reduce the number of forage fish that feed commercial and game fish species, damaging commercial and recreational fishing.
“The Great Lakes grow industries and draw businesses to this region,” Doyle said in a press release. “They are essential to transportation and shipping, they drive recreation and tourism and they sustain cities.”
Doyle, along with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, is now urging the White House and other Great Lakes governors to take immediate action to preserve the Great Lakes system.
As chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, Doyle encouraged the Army Corps of Engineers to construct an electrical barrier in the waterways near Chicago to prevent fish from entering Lake Michigan. The spread of the carp’s DNA to Lake Michigan has raised fears the barriers aren’t enough. But Moy indicates there’s not enough proof the barriers are failing yet.
“The current threat is very low,” Moy said. “The numbers [of fish] are very, very low, and if kept low, they can’t breed and become established.”
Moy believes the electric barrier near Chicago is the best solution to keeping Asian carp, as well as other harmful invasive species, out of the Great Lakes.
“The Great Lakes are vital to our region’s future,” said Doyle in the release. “And the Army Corps of Engineers must immediately implement emergency measures to protect the Great Lakes against Asian carp.”
