President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Interior Department vowed Tuesday to address the threat posed by 100-pound Asian carp in the Great Lakes.
“Having a hundred pound carp jumping out of the water is a problem,” said Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, of Montana, at his first confirmation hearing as the nominee to lead the agency.
He said the problem of invasive species in the country “is a threat,” and one that he and the incoming administration are willing to address.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., asked Zinke how he would address the issue of the giant Asian carp that are taking over the Great Lakes’ ecosystems. The carp have knocked people out of their boats and injured fishermen and fish and wildlife officers. They also consume huge amounts of vegetation in the lakes and disturb normal fish populations.
The fish when startled can jump several feet out of the water and swim in large schools. So, dozens at a time could leap out of the water. Fish and Wildlife officers who study the fish have specially equipped boats with cages to protect them from the fish stampedes.
Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers last week to release a new plan on ways to prevent Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan. The plan has been lingering and awaiting finalization.
“Completion of the plan is not only a key milestone in the process towards finalizing the Chief’s Report, but it will also provide critical information for policymakers at the state and federal levels to determine the most effective measures to prevent further Asian carp movement,” the senators said in their letter.
