The fish that has policymakers and environmentalists fearful of serious damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem is the subject of a public meeting this afternoon in Indianapolis.
For the last decade, the Asian carp has been infiltrating waterways, gobbling up algae and small shellfish that other fish eat.
The carp eat so much that they can crowd out nearly all other species. The Indiana Wildlife Federation is hosting its third meeting with state and federal officials to explain the options for dealing with it.
Executive director Barb Simpson says Chicago has had success keeping the carp out of Lake Michigan with electrified barriers. The Army Corps of Engineers will release a report in the next month or two evaluating the pros and cons of different proposals for dealing with the carp.
Earlier this month, the federation held similar meetings in Portage, near what‘s believed to be the most likely entry point to the Great Lakes, and Fort Wayne. Simpson says the threat in Fort Wayne is the second biggest, because Eagle Marsh south of the city could give the carp access to the Great Lakes watershed.
The Department of Natural Resources is putting up barriers.
