A UW-Sea Grant Institute fisheries specialist says the best way to stop Asian Carp from coming to Lake Michigan is to develop a complete ecological separation between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Currently there exists an electric barrier between the two water bodies, designed to block invasive species.
Phil Moy, who advises the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the barrier, says despite DNA samples of the Asian Carp being detected in Lake Michigan, it has been effective in keeping the invasive fish out.
Phil Moy (:22)
Several states, including Wisconsin, have cited the DNA samples has a reason to completely shut down the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and have pursued legal action to do so. Federal lawmakers from Great Lakes states have taken legislative action to make it happen.
Illinois officials are opposed to the closure saying it would strike a severe blow to Chicago businesses. Meanwhile, Moy does not believe closing the locks is the most effective way to stopping the carp. He stands by the need for a permanent separation between the two water bodies.
