Keith Ashfield, Canadian minister of fisheries and oceans has announced that the Government of Canada will make a significant investment to protect Canada’s Great Lakes from the threat of Asian carp.
“The Great Lakes are important to the economic and cultural make-up of Canadians who live and work on these waters. These lakes support both recreational and commercial fisheries and a way of life for our people,” said Minister Ashfield. “Our efforts to date have prevented Asian carp from establishing in the Great Lakes system and we will continue to do what is necessary to keep them from taking over this valuable watershed.”
This new funding totalling $17.5m will be allocated over the next five years to four key activities: Prevention, early warning, rapid response, and management and control.
As part of prevention activities, emphasis will be placed on initiatives to educate people about the danger of this invasive species and ways to prevent humans from bringing Asian carp into Canadian waters.
The government will also work with American counterparts to develop an extensive early warning and monitoring system to alert officials of signs of any potential problems along with rapid response protocols for both countries to be able to react quickly should there be signs that they are spreading. To manage and control the threat of their entry into Canadian waters, the Government of Canada will also work with enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with regulations relating to the transport of Asian carp.
With Asian carp having established in the Mississippi River system in the US, officials on both sides of the border share concerns that they could enter the Great Lakes watershed. Asian carp aggressively compete with native fish for food and habitat, and can quickly become the dominant species.
