Hearing of the House Resources Committee, Subcommitte on Fisheries and Oceans

Hearing of the House Resources Committee, Subcommitte on Fisheries and Oceans

TESTIMONY: THE HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for holding today's hearing on the problem of Asian carp, an invasive species, and the danger that they pose to the Great Lakes.

Invasive species cause disruptions in the food web, and these disruptions are now causing the decline of certain fish in the Great Lakes. Invasive species are believed to be the cause of a new "dead zone" in Lake Erie. And, invasive species compete with native species for habitat. Unfortunately, about every 8 months, a new species is introduced in the Great Lakes.

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to the health of the Great Lakes system. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the problem of aquatic invasive species came to light when zebra mussels, an organism native to Russia, were discovered in the Lakes. The Great Lakes are still plagued by zebra mussels, and today, 20 states are fighting to control them. Once a new species becomes established in our waters, it is extremely hard to control it.

The Bighead, Black, and Silver Asian carp are exotic species and were brought to the United States as a management tool for aquaculture farms and sewage treatment. Asian Carp can grow up to six feet long, weigh up to 110 pounds, and are voracious eaters. Asian carp also reproduce very quickly. These species were accidentally introduced into the Mississippi River during major flooding, and the carp have steadily made their way northward up the Mississippi, becoming the most abundant species in some areas of the River. The Asian carp are impacting food supplies available to the native fisheries. The Great Lakes states and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission -- the entities charged with protecting the Great Lakes fisheries -- believe that Asian carp would devastate native fisheries in the Lakes and undo years of restoration efforts.

The Corps of Engineers has had success so far in blocking the migration of Asian carp that have been moving up the Mississippi River. The path of the carp has been blocked by a temporary electric dispersal barrier, constructed by the Corps, in the Chicago Ship & Sanitary Canal. This barrier is supposed to block the movement of species between the Great Lakes watershed basin and the Mississippi River watershed. These two waters were connected only when the Canal was dug in the early 1900s.

Unfortunately, the original barrier is deteriorating rapidly and will not be able to adequately repel carp or other species trying to move between the two waters. With my colleagues, I have worked over the years to ensure that a second barrier is quickly constructed before the existing barrier fails. Additional authority is needed so that the Corps of Engineers can operate and maintain the permanent barrier and upgrade the existing temporary barrier. These projects will provide the protection recommended by the Dispersal Barrier Advisory Panel.

Limiting the movement of Asian carp through the Chicago Ship & Sanitary Canal is only part of the solution. Asian carp are a pretty aggressive species, and we need to address all of the pathways through which they can enter the Great Lakes.

After a few years of urging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to address Asian carp through the Lacey Act, Representative Mark Green and I introduced the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act. This bill would amend the Lacey Act by listing three species of Asian carp as injurious wildlife. Injurious wildlife are defined as those species and offspring and eggs that are injurious to the interests of human beings, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, wildlife, or wildlife resources of the United States. There is plenty of evidence to show that these carp are injurious wildlife. The U.S. Geological Survey completed a biological synopsis and environmental risk assessment on the Asian carp. This report states that "given examples of declines in native fishes after the introduction of Bighead and Silver carps, it is reasonable to expect similar declines in native fishes in the United States. . . .Extirpations and extinctions of native and endemic fishes have been linked to the introduction of Bighead and Silver carps elsewhere." Further, there would likely be a sever impact on threatened and endangered fish.

Listing the three species under the Lacey Act would minimize the risk of intentional introduction of these species by prohibiting the importation and interstate transportation of live Asian Carp without a permit. This legislation would not interfere with existing state regulations of the fish and permits the transport or purchase live Asian carp that may be issued for research or educational purposes. This legislation would not prevent the use of carp in aquaculture ponds. That is left to the states.

The U.S. Geological Survey report also states that the Bighead and Silver carps have left a legacy that could affect native fish populations within the Mississippi River Basin for decades to come. Populations of these carp in parts of the Mississippi River Basin appear to be increasing exponentially. It is very unfortunate that the Mississippi River has to deal with Asian carp, but it would be even more unfortunate if we stood by and let these fish invade all of our waters and devastate our native fisheries.

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