State and Federal agencies have begun poisoning a nearly 6-mile stretch of the Chicago
Sanitary Ship Canal to kill off invasive Asian carp while maintenance
is performed on an electrical barrier intended to keep the fish out of
Lake Michigan. The Lake’s ecosystem is already irreparably damaged by
invasive species making the introduction of these new invasive fish a
dire threat to the entire Great Lakes system. The fish can grow to 100
pounds in size and out-compete native species in an ecosystem
due to their prolific breeding and ability to filter feed 40% of their
body weight on a daily basis. Underscoring the threat, Governor
Jennifer Granholm of Michigan today called for the re-opening of a
nearly century-old case sitting before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding
the Chicago Diversion to force immediate action around the carp issue.