Asian Carp Quandary for Recreational Boaters
Chicago River and Lake Michigan boaters find themselves in the rather awkward position of having a shared interest in both sides of the battle over what to do about the arrival of the Asian carp to the Great Lakes region.
At issue is whether the Chicago River locks should be closed to keep the carp from spreading into Lake Michigan. And it’s one of those times when the best immediate outcome for recreational boaters is also possibly the one that could ultimately cause the most long-term damage.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently denied Michigan’s request for an injunction that would have ordered the closing of shipping locks on the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, which connects to the Chicago River and ultimately the lake. However, a lawsuit against Illinois by Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin, along with Ontario, Canada, has not yet been decided.
Here’s the rub: closing the locks could have a disastrous effect on the nearly 7,000 Chicago River and Lake Michigan boaters, not to mention the potential negative economic impact closure could have on the shipping industry in Illinois. Yet a Great Lakes invasion of Asian carp could be devastating.
As a result, the Great Lakes Boating Federation has the unenviable challenge of supporting recreational boaters, as well as efforts to close out the carp. The Federation said it, “remains steadfast about shutting the gates on Asian carp, but not on thousands of local boaters.”
Michigan and Wisconsin have requested the White House to hold a summit on the issue. The Great Lakes Boating Federation is calling for a public hearing, saying that mariners on these bodies of water form the group of stakeholders that would most deeply feel the effects of an invasion of the predators.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to be hasty in the Chicago locks closure brings a sigh of relief to the 7,000 Chicagoland boaters,” said Ned Dikan, chairman of the Great Lakes Boating Federation. “No setbacks are foreseen in the fast-approaching spring migration from the storage facilities on the river to Lake Michigan. Boaters remain committed to the fight to keep the Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes and for the safe means to keep the locks open.”
The Court’s decision came down on the same day the Army Corps of Engineers announced that Asian carp DNA had been found in the lake. No specimens have yet been sighted there, but the DNA suggests that they are nearby.
The ruling by the court promoted U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-MI, to introduce legislation – known as the CARP Act – to force Chicago to close locks, erect barriers and take other emergency measures to prevent the spread of the invasive fish to Lake Michigan.
“It is absolutely necessary for us to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes,” Camp said. “This legislation will ensure the Great Lakes are protected and should satisfy any concerns about any impacts on commerce or flood control Chicago.”
Asian carp have a ferocious appetite, and can weigh up to 100 pounds. Judging from their dominance in the nearby Illinois and Mississippi rivers, they have the potential to greatly disrupt the Great Lakes ecosystem by consuming vast amounts of the plankton that sustain other fish already in the lakes. Potentially, they could squeeze out the $7 billion fishing industry in the Great Lakes.
The river system and the Great Lakes are integral parts of the boating scene in Chicago, and they are used recreationally from April to November each year for boat storage. Approximately 5,000 boaters are moored in the nine harbors in Chicago, with an additional 2,000 moored on the Chicago River.
