DNR to conduct Lake Erie grass carp field exercise Sept. 9-11
Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 09/05/2014 10:05 AM EDT|
Agencies will test response capabilities for bighead carp, other invasive species. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 5, 2014
Contact: Elyse Walter, 517-284-5839 or 269-845-2227 (cell) or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815
Michigan DNR to conduct field exercise with other Great Lakes agencies
to monitor grass carp on Lake Erie
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced that several state, provincial and federal natural resources agencies will conduct an extensive field exercise in western Lake Erie Sept. 9-11 to test response capabilities for invasive bighead and silver carp and other aquatic invasive species.
This field exercise will allow participating agencies to test methods that might be employed in responding to an inter-jurisdictional aquatic invasive species issue. This response exercise also will increase participating agencies’ knowledge of grass carp in western Lake Erie. There are no known populations of bighead or silver carp in Lake Erie. Grass carp have been reported occasionally since 1984, but a more concerted effort to understand frequency of occurrence, reproductive status and origin was initiated by agencies in western Lake Erie in 2010. Michigan and Ohio commercial fishers have been important partners in this effort.
The three-day field exercise will engage more than 60 employees from participating agencies and is funded in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This exercise will involve netting and electrofishing and will focus on the logistics for implementing an inter-jurisdictional response through the Mutual Aid Agreement recently signed by the Great Lakes governors. The goal of the exercise is to collect information that may be used in the future to effectively plan response efforts.
“This exercise will help us fine-tune our abilities to respond to an invasive species finding in the Great Lakes,” said Tammy Newcomb, DNR senior water policy advisor. “It's also a great opportunity for the Michigan DNR to work closely with other natural resources agencies to implement the Great Lakes invasive species mutual-aid agreement with our partner agencies."
A highlight of this field exercise is the collaboration among numerous state, provincial and federal agencies. Agencies involved in this exercise will include:
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
- Fisheries & Oceans Canada
The public may see staff from participating agencies at various sites throughout western Lake Erie. Those efforts can be monitored via Twitter by following the Michigan DNR’s Fisheries Division (@MDNR_Fisheries) and with the hashtag #Prep4Carp.
For more information on Asian carp efforts in Michigan, please visit www.michigan.gov/asiancarp.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.