Invasive Asian Carp

Floor Speech

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Mr. KUSTOFF of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise awareness about the single greatest threat to Tennessee's lake and river systems. Invasive Asian carp are destroying Tennessee's native fisheries across the State.

If ignored, these fish will decimate recreation, sporting, and tourism industries that rely on more than 60,000 miles of streams and rivers in my State.

For years, the focal point for combating Asian carp has been in the North, particularly the Great Lakes. However, this continued threat has spread through the Southeast. It is time to recognize that this species is invading States like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.

Congress needs to take action, or we are going to lose some of the most biologically diverse rivers and bass fishing in the country.

Asian carp have the capacity to destroy the food systems of highly valued recreational and commercial fisheries, which generate $2 billion in economic impact annually in Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, this issue cannot be ignored, and I implore my colleagues to work with me to combat the invasion of Asian carp in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast.

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