Public Rights in Water: Asian Carp

The 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework adds 13 new initiatives to the comprehensive effort to combat Asian carp, including expanding eDNA testing capacity and developing cutting-edge biological controls and monitoring technology, among other measures.
The original Framework, created in February 2010 and updated in May, established the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), consisting of municipal, state, and federal agencies.

The U.S. house rejected a proposal to force the closure of locks that could provide an opening to the Great Lakes for voracious Asian carp, a potential threat to native fish species and the region's economy.

The variety know as “bighead” carp can weigh up to 100 pounds and consume 40 percent of their body weight each day. Their size physically crowds out native fish and makes boat traffic and swimming hazardous. Their diet eliminates the food sources of native species, including those pursued by sport and commercial fishermen, and makes it nearly impossibly for them to survive.