Effort to Keep Asian Carp From Great Lakes Appears Stymied

Since DNA from the fish was discovered in Chicago-area waterways in 2009, an advisory panel has been debating possible solutions. They're holding what could be a final meeting Thursday, with no sign of a consensus plan, according to the AP:

Even if talks continue, chances are growing that the carp will arrive before anything conclusive is done to stop them. At their recent pace, the first young carp could reach Lake Michigan within two years, although a number of obstacles could slow them considerably.

“It’s one of the things that keep me up at night,” said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat whose state borders four of the five Great Lakes. “Asian carp could devastate our Great Lakes and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend on them.”

A federal study says the most effective measure would be blocking waterways that connect the Mississippi River watershed with Lake Michigan. According to the AP, most of the region's states favor that. But opponents in Illinois and Indiana say it would disrupt Chicago shipping traffic.

Government agencies have spent more than $300 million on short-term measures such as electric barriers to block their path. As you can see in the picture above, they also poisoned some waterways to kill off the carp.