Environmentalists criticize Asian carp strategy

Asian carp
There are several types of Asian carp, including the jumping silver carp, shown here on the Missouri River. They pose hazards for boaters, but they also pose an ecological hazard for native fishes.
Photo by Jason Jenkins, University of Missouri

Environmental activists say a federal plan to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes has good points but also serious flaws.

The government released its $78.5 million proposal this week for preventing the invasive fish from entering Lake Michigan through Chicago waterways.

Five environmental groups Friday praised its promises to erect new barriers and step up processing of DNA tests needed to tell how close the carp have gotten to the lake.

But Andy Buchsbaum of the National Wildlife Federation said there's too little detail about when and how the steps will be taken. He likened it to a list of ingredients with no recipe.

Joel Brammeier of the Alliance for the Great Lakes said it fails to promise eventual separation of the lakes from the Mississippi River system.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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