Download Obama Administ ration Rel leases 201 2 Asian C

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FOR IMME
EDIATE REL
LEASE:
F
February 23
3, 2012
Contact: ((CEQ) Taryyn Tuss: 202-456-6998
((FWS) Katiee Steiger-Meeister: 612-7713-5317
((EPA) Alish
ha Johnson: 202-564-67794
Obama Administration Relleases 2012 Asian C
Carp Contrrol Strateggy Framew
work
W
WASHINGT
TON – The Obama
O
Admin
nistration tod
day announceed a series off new measurres to protectt the
G
Great Lakes from
f
Asian carp,
c
building
g on the unprrecedented prroactive plann the Adminisstration estabblished in
F
February 2010 to prevent this invasivee species from
m developingg self-sustainning populations in the Grreat
L
Lakes.
T
The 2012 Asiian Carp Con
ntrol Strategy
y Framework
k adds severaal initiatives tto the compreehensive effoort to
ccombat Asian
n carp, includ
ding expandin
ng eDNA sam
mpling to addditional areaas in the Greaat Lakes regioon,
ddeploying new
w nets and other technolo
ogies to enhaance Asian caarp capture raates, and devveloping cuttiing-edge
bbiological con
ntrols and monitoring tecchnology, am
mong other meeasures.
““This strategy
y builds on th
he unprecedeented and efffective plan w
we are implem
menting to keep Asian caarp out of
tthe Great Lak
kes while we determine th
he best long term
t
solutionn,” said John Goss, Asiann Carp Directtor at the
W
White House Council on Environment
E
tal Quality. “The
“
2012 Sttrategic Fram
mework will sstrengthen ouur
ddefenses agaiinst Asian caarp and movee even more innovative
i
caarp control prrojects from research intoo
implementation.”
““With Congreessional and Presidential support for the
t Great Lakkes Restoratiion Initiative, we're gettinng results
in shielding th
he Great Lak
kes from invaasive species,” said Cameeron Davis, S
Senior Advisoor to the
A
Administrator, U.S. Envirronmental Prrotection Ageency. “Investting in a heallthy Great Laakes means a healthy
eeconomy.”
““The Army Corps
C
of Engiineers is com
mmitted to pro
otecting the ggreat Lakes ffrom Asian ccarp. Our
aachievementss in 2011 dem
monstrate thee success of this
t integratedd frameworkk, of workingg together to kkeep the
ccarp out of th
his treasured ecosystem. Our
O success further
f
motivvates us to accomplish new
w initiatives in 2012,”
Works.
ssaid Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assisstant Secretaary of the Arm
my for Civil W
““Protecting th
he Great Lak
kes ecosystem
ms and fisheries from invaasion by the A
Asian carp iss a significannt
cchallenge, an
nd confronting
g this issue is a major priority for us aas part of an uunprecedenteed overall eff
ffort
uunder the Obama adminisstration,” said
d DOI Acting
g Assistant S
Secretary for F
Fish, Wildliffe and Parks Rachel
JJacobson. “Th
he U.S. Fish and Wildlifee Service and
d the U.S. Geeological Surrvey are workking on the gground as
ppart of an inteensive, comp
prehensive strrategy to stop
p the spread of Asian carp
rp in the Greaat Lakes.”
T
The Obama Administratio
A
on has investted more than
n $100 millioon dollars to pprotect the G
Great Lakes ffrom
A
Asian carp an
nd formed an
n Asian Carp Regional Co
oordinating C
Committee (A
ACRCC) in 22009 to ensurre a
ccomprehensiv
ve and effecttive responsee. Led by thee White Housse Council onn Environmeental Quality,, the
A
ACRCC inclu
udes the U.S. Army Corp
ps of Engineeers, U.S. Coaast Guard, U.S. Fish and W
Wildlife Servvice, U.S.
G
Geological Su
urvey, U.S. Environment
E
tal Protection
n Agency, thee National Occeanic and A
Atmospheric
1 Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and all Great Lakes states, as well as the Great Lakes
Fishery Commission, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and the City of
Chicago.
The Administration released the original Asian Carp Framework in February 2010 to develop and implement
effective Asian carp controls and keep the invasive species from establishing a self-sustaining population in
the Great Lakes while a permanent solution is developed. Updates to the Framework in 2012 include:
•
Deploying new alternate traps and nets and other technologies to enhance Asian carp capture rates.
•
Implementing eDNA sampling at Great Lakes areas of concern with particular focus on southern
Lake Michigan, western Lake Erie and other potential hotspots.
•
Ensuring continued electrical barrier effectiveness through expanded use of telemetry and split beam
hydro-acoustic monitoring.
•
Refining water guns to repel carp and evaluate their effectiveness at repelling juvenile and larval
Asian carp.
•
Assessing the feasibility of using pheromones to capture and remove Asian carp.
•
Identifying potential compounds for inclusion in a toxicant screening program for controlling Asian
carp.
•
Developing targeted control systems for Asian carp based on species-specific digestive system
characteristics.
•
Expanding law enforcement surveillance and enforcement of illegal transportation of federally listed
invasive species.
•
Increase Asian carp outreach and education efforts through the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.
Key actions completed since 2010 include:
•
Enhanced the fish barrier system to include strengthened electric barriers, physical barricades to stop
Asian carp migration during floods, and closed off smaller waterway connections to the Great Lakes.
•
Utilized emergency authority provided through Section 126 of Energy and Water Development Act
of 2010 to block flood waters from the Des Plaines River with a 13-mile fish barrier and a permanent
block in the Illinois and Michigan Canal to keep Asian carp from crossing into the Chicago
Waterway.
•
Installed a 1,500 foot fish barrier fence at Eagle Marsh, near Fort Wayne, IN, to block advancement
of Asian carp from the Wabash to the Maumee and Lake Erie.
•
Identified 18 other pathways across all the Great Lakes states with the potential to transfer aquatic
invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins.
•
Implemented the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act following President Obama’s signing of the
bill on December 14, 2010. This legislation prohibits live bighead carp from being shipped or
imported across state and national lines.
•
Conducted more than 40,000 hours of netting, electrofishing and other monitoring
For more information and to read the 2012 Framework, please visit: www.asiancarp.us.
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