Chicago Sun-Times Editorial; Common sense on Asian carp

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial; Common sense on Asian carp
Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times
February 10, 2010
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2038732,CST-EDT-edit10b.article


Like two boats on a collision course, opposing philosophies over how to deal with the threat of invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes surfaced this week.

Officials of Michigan and other Great Lakes states chose the simplistic course, advocating for permanent closure of the locks on Illinois waterways linking Lake Michigan to the Illinois River.

Alternatively, the Obama administration on Monday announced a more sophisticated, multi-tiered effort to keep the carp at bay.

The Obama administration's $78.5 million approach, which includes 25 actions that would slow the advance of the carp, is sensible. It contains various control techniques while spending money to research ways to keep carp from spawning and developing a carp-only poison that wouldn't affect other fish. That plan now is before the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Simply closing the locks would devastate the region's shipping while failing to stop the carp. If the fish make it through existing electric barriers near Romeoville, they could use other, still-open routes to bypass the locks.

Everyone agrees the species of giant carp are a serious threat, but no one knows for sure what would happen if they got into the lakes.

The carp can reach four feet in length and weigh as much as 100 pounds. By feasting on plankton, they could threaten the region's $7 billion-a-year fishing industry.

We need a solution to the carp and other invasive species. The Obama administration is on the right path.