Michigan and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources Six Lake Erie water samples test positive for Asian carp eDNA

"Federal and state wildlife officials working in conjunction with academic researchers today announced six water samples taken from Sandusky and north Maumee bays tested positive for the presence of Asian carp environmental DNA in Michigan and Ohio waters.
The positive samples were among 417 taken from Lake Erie in August 2011, and more than 2,000 samples taken from the Great Lakes Basin since 2010. The Lake Erie batch was recently analyzed and test results were confirmed by eDNA researchers this week. The six positive samples represent less than 1.5 percent of the Lake Erie samples.

Since 2010, the Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, USFWS, University of Notre Dame, Central Michigan University and the Nature Conservancy have partnered to collect water samples from Great Lakes basin waters, including the Chicago Area Waterway System, southern Lake Michigan, western Lake Erie and tributary streams of lakes Michigan and Erie. The collaborative early-detection Asian carp surveillance program is funded by the USFWS with a federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, administered under the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework".

So are we on the slippery slope heading for Great Lakes deserts or is this an over reach by the departments involved. As with CWD worry was at fever pitch until the funding dried up and then less aggresive treatment philosophies were adopted. The government has been fighting an increase in the Asian carp battle funding. Now they may have to incease the budgets or assign more resources to the problem.

Just recently there were reports of studies that said the Asian carp wouldn't have any adverse affect of the Great Lakes and that they would destroy the Great Lakes. If the funding is increased then people doing studies on the problem may get government backing. Lets hope these samples get expained away and we won't have to worry about the problem as of yet. Finding Asian carp DNA in a Chicago canal near where we know the fish are found is one thing but 3 1/2 Great Lakes away is a different story.

Get Outdoors Downriver (before the good fish are gone)