Freshwater Fishing News

A new state-record bighead Asian carp was among nearly 12,000 fish taken by participants in the Bowfishing Association of Illinois’ second annual Director’s Shoot on the Illinois River near Starved Rock State Park, July 16-17.

The new record for bighead carp taken by bow – a 59 lb. 4 oz. fish – was brought in by Robb Kemper of the Team Fish Slayer bowfishing team of Iowa during the tournament.   The previous bowfishing record for bighead carp in Illinois was 43 lbs. 5.6 oz. set last year on the Des Plaines River in Will Co.

In all during the weekend tournament, participants took 48,000 pounds of invasive fish from the Illinois River during an eight-hour period.

The Bowfishing Association of Illinois Director’s Shoot targeting Asian carp included a day shoot on July 16 and a night shoot from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. on July 16-17.

“Bowfishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. Many of the fish we can harvest by bow are quite tasty, gar, silver, bighead and grass carp as well as the sucker species. Any invasive fish such as the Asian and common carps that are removed by bowfishing is a big plus for our waters as well,” said BAI Club President Ed Devries.

Participating teams were able to weigh-in their 30 top fish taken by bow, with prizes awarded to the heaviest stringer.

Awards were also presented in an invasive fish format in which teams competed for the most Asian carp and common carp taken by bow.  The winning team in the numbers division, Team Innerloc from Iowa, took 2,932 Asian carp and common carp from the river. The second-place team removed 1,937 invasive fish from the river and the third-place team removed 1,435 fish.   In all, the 54 teams removed approximately 12,000 fish – or about 24 tons of fish – from the Illinois River.

Next year’s Bowfishing Association of Illinois Director’s Shoot is scheduled for July 21-22, 2012.  For more information on bowfishing and the Director’s Shoot, contact the BAI at 630-886-1672.

For information on bowfishing regulations and other fishing opportunities in Illinois, check the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov/fishing or the ‘I Fish Illinois’ website at www.ifishillinois.org

source: Illinois DNR

In May, the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC)  released its 2011 Asian Carp Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan (MRRP), outlining an aggressive set of actions to track and remove Asian carp in the Upper Illinois River and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to prevent this invasive species from establishing in the Great Lakes.

In 2010, Federal and state partners executed an aggressive, coordinated Asian carp monitoring and sampling strategy, dedicating more than 16,000 hours to surveying and removing Asian carp in more than 200 miles of Illinois waterway. On-the-ground actions ranged from cutting-edge scientific analysis of water samples for Asian carp DNA to intensive use of traditional fishing methods such as electrofishing and netting.

These actions were part of a comprehensive, multi-tiered Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework first released in May 2010. The 2011 MRRP summarizes the monitoring results from 2010, continues and intensifies these monitoring and sampling actions to take advantage of new technology, tools and understanding of this invasive species, and outlines a strategy for rapid response in the event an Asian carp is found above the barrier system in the CAWS.

The 2011 MRRP, which represents an estimated $7 million Federal investment, is designed with the flexibility to respond to new threats.

The ACRCC is led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation and all eight Great Lakes states, as well as the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and the City of Chicago.

For more information on the 2011 MRRP, 2010 actions, or to view the entire 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, visit: www.asiancarp.org

source: Illinois DNR

In response to a request by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and Governor Ted Strickland, White House officials have appointed a point person to oversee the ongoing battle against the spread of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.

John Goss, current head of the Indiana Wildlife Federation and former head of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, was named yesterday to coordinate federal, state and local efforts under way to address the migration of Asian carp into the lakes.

Attorney General Cordray issued the following statement in response to the appointment:

“This appointment is a necessary step to ensure that the immediate threat of Asian carp is met with effective and decisive action. We hope that Mr. Goss will recognize the situation as dire, and see that it is not too late to prevent this invasive species from causing an ecological disaster. We will continue to call for action through the courts, federal government and Congress, and will pursue all other available avenues until the carp are no longer a threat to Ohio and its multi-billion dollar fishing industries.”

Cordray also filed a federal lawsuit in July, along with attorneys general from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, asking the court to order immediate action to permanently block the carp from spreading. Hearings on the case are expected to continue in Chicago.

On August 23, 2010, Judge Robert Dow Jr. heard arguments on the lawsuit filed by five Great Lakes Attorneys General demanding immediate closure of the Chicago area locks and, ultimately, permanent separation of Great Lakes from the Mississippi River Valley.

Judge Dow accepted groups who applied to intervene on behalf of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the defendants in the lawsuit. Interveners include the City of Chicago, Wendella Sightseeing and a coalition made up of the American Waterways Operators, The Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Corn Growers Association.

The UnLock Our Jobs coalition contends this lawsuit is without merit; based on unproven science and misleading economic impact statistics. As arguments continue, the plaintiffs’ arguments and flawed accusations will be under a microscope. Their suit relies on unproven eDNA testing methods and the discovery of one fish in Lake Calumet that USIC scientists recently determined was introduced by human transport.

“Scientists from Southern Illinois University have already determined that the single Asian carp found in Lake Calumet likely was transported there at a young age through human transport,” said Mark Biel, executive director of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. “This is hardly evidence of an impending invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. In fact, it’s further evidence that existing barriers are working effectively. The lawsuit is inherently flawed. When the states have to back up their accusations and numbers this week, they’re arguments will simply fall apart.”

Lisa Frede, director of regulatory affairs for the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois responded to the eDNA claims stating that, “This testing does not meet any scientific standard necessary for use as evidence in court. It has been called experimental and has not been subjected to peer review.  Setting aside the legal standards for eDNA — the facts speak for themselves. Despite the millions of dollars and hundreds of man hours spent on fish kills and sampling activities, only one lone Asian carp has been found.”

Two previous suits filed with the U.S. Supreme Court by Greats Lakes Attorneys General were ultimately thrown out.

source: www. unlockourjobs.org

Scientists from Southern Illinois University report the Asian carp found in Lake Calumet are most likely the result of a cultural release. Human introduction is one of over twenty ways aquatic species may be introduced to new environments. The scientists released their findings after conducting tests on the six year old fish caught in June. As a result of this latest development UnLock Our Jobs released the following statement:

“This discovery underscores that there may have been some who have overreacted to this initial finding,” said Mark Denzler, vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Just yesterday, leaders of Illinois business and agricultural communities filed a joint legal brief, in support of the Army Corps of Engineers, expressing opposition to a third lawsuit filed by politicians in other states.  We’re fighting on behalf of thousands of businesses and farmers across the Mississippi region to rely on these waterways for commerce.  Closing the locks based on misinformation and fear makes everyone worse off – we need to proceed based on the facts.”

Lisa Frede, director of regulatory affairs for the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois continued, “Following this isolated discovery back in June, a handful of politicians and environmental alarmists called for drastic action despite our warnings that scientific testing must be conducted first. Now scientists report the fish was most likely a result of human release which only underscores the point that knee-jerk, extreme reactions were unnecessary and counterproductive. Existing barriers are clearly working and now we must work toward a comprehensive solution that will be both economically and environmentally beneficial in the long-term.”

Asian Carp, a collection of four distinct fish species, represent a serious, but manageable threat to the Mississippi and Great Lakes Region. Introduced in the 1970s by southern catfish farmers, Asian Carp traveled north through U.S. waterways to their current location in the Illinois River. To cope with the further spread of these invasive species of carp, regulators installed electric barriers to prevent further progression.

Further preventative measures being considered include lock closures which would cause disruption of commercial traffic through the northern most locks on the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS).

For more information on the negative effects of Chicago Area Waterway System lock closures, visit: www.unlockourjobs.org

UnLock Our Jobs is a coalition dedicated to protecting the essential waterway connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River corridor. A project of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, coalition members represent agriculture, business, labor, river communities, and concerned citizens working towards a comprehensive solution to stop the spread of Asian Carp, while leaving the Chicago locks open to commerce.