Help Stop Invasive Species in the Great Lakes
I need your help!
Recently many of you had the opportunity
to hear me speak on invasive species and the asian carp threatening the Great
Lakes. As conservationists, sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts we must also be
the stewards of our natural resources. There comes a time when we have to
become active to protect what we share and love. I need your help and support.
There are many serious issues concerning
our Great Lakes, however invasive species is the single greatest threat to
the ecosystem. Invasive species, non-indigenous plants and animals, find
their way into our lakes and rivers through commercial ship ballast, canals and
bait buckets. All these entry points need to be addressed and the invasion
stopped in order to protect the fantastic fisheries we all enjoy. This treat is
not technologically difficult to remedy, unfortunately it is politically very
difficult. I have some ideas for solutions concerning ballast water.... I know
there are experts all over this world that have potential solutions... they
don't work if they are not implemented. Policies and regulations that are not
goal driven at stopping invasive species will not succeed. Current regulations
and proposed Federal legislation have loopholes that allow nonconformance to
any regulations. The current political philosophy is to slow invasive species
introductions; it is a philosophy for failure and the demise of the ecosystem,
as we know it. If we continue on this path, we will not have anything to
protect in the future.
I have been actively following the asian carp problem in the Illinois River and
Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal. About ten years ago asian carp used in catfish
ponds to control plankton growth escaped into the Mississippi River during a
spring flood. In the ten years since their escape these carp have spread
throughout the Mississippi River basin and now threaten the Great Lakes. These
carp now account for nearly 50% of the fish in the Mississippi River displacing
native fish. These carp threaten recreational boaters and other users of the
River system.
The current action plan to protect the
Great Lakes from these invasive carp is to build an electric barrier. (The
electric barrier is now under construction.) The plan unfortunately has been
flawed from the start it does not intend to stop the advance of the carp but to
only slow the invasion. The result is these carp will reach the Great Lakes and
beyond. There are other holes in the plan to protect the Great Lakes from the
advance of these carp. Leveling water, (ballast water) on the barges traversing
the canal potentially can carry carp eggs and fry past the barrier. Another
problem with the electric barrier is that funding for the operation and
maintenance has not been secured. The location of the barrier is less than
ideal because frequent spring floods can wash eggs or allow fish to swim around
the barrier during floods. The Cal Sag Canal, which is a tributary, is also
another entry path to the Great Lakes. For any plan to have a chance for
success its goal must be to stop the carp.
As I stated at the beginning
technologically speaking there is a simple solution to stop the advance of
asian carp to the Great Lakes through these canals.... I have heard from enough
experts on this including Chris Goddard, US Chairman on the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission, we need to dam the canals. (Mr. Goddard says a hydrological barrier
is needed but a dam by any other name is still a dam.) Everyone agrees that the
permanent electric barrier while well intentioned will not stop the asian carp
from reaching the Great Lakes it is only a temporary measure.
I have asked people to write letters... nobody writes anymore. Who has time?
People communicate on the computer by e-mail. Just as we are now... it is
quick... little effort... simple. I want to harness this medium to make the
will of the public known to our elected officials. I am organizing a campaign
to e-mail selected politicians on ...my favorite subject... the Chicago
Sanitary and Ship and the Cal-Sag Canals.
So, here is what I am proposing. I am asking anyone who wants to participate in
this campaign to send e-mails on one weekend. Send the e-mails between
6:00 PM EST on March 26 and 6:00 AM EST March 28, 2005 We need the
e-mails to come in a large volume at one time to have any impact. All the
e-mails must have nearly the same subject line and if at all possible not be a
forwarded e-mail because spam software will reject these. I suggest "Dam
the Canals" "Save Lake Michigan, Dam the Canals" "Stop the
asian carp, DAM THE CANALS" and "You must not fail, Dam the
Canals". The subject "dam the canals" is important because if
this is successful nobody will read a thousand e-mails but it will be easy to
see a thousand e-mails concerning the same topic.
The
content of the e-mail message should be very simple for example:
I support your efforts to protect the Great Lakes from the advance of
the invasive asian carp. The electric barrier approach is
temporary however, it is flawed. Please dam the canals. You
are on the frontline for this issue you can not fail to protect the Great
Lakes.
Send the e-mails to Mayor Daley of
Chicago
mayordaley@cityofchicago.org
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn
Pat_Quinn@ltgov.state.il.us
Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich
Rod_Blagojevich@gov.state.il.us
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson johnson.stephen@epa.gov
President George Bush
president@whitehouse.gov
There is a reason for each of the recipients. The first three are on the
"frontlines" the Mayor, Lt Governor and Governor are going to be the
real actionees they are going to need the most help to resolve this
issue. Mayor Daley and Governor Blagojecich are on our side but they
need to hear the message to take it to the US Congress. The EPA
Administrator is important because this is more than a Great Lakes issue it is
national. He needs to be available to support the actionees in Illinois
with whatever help they need. Last, President Bush has made it a priority
to protect the Great Lakes, I want him to know we stand behind his effort. It
will be clear that failure in this objective is not acceptable.
So far the campaign is being well received I have a
tremendous support from individuals and organizations. Great Lakes United, the
Isaac Walton League, Erie County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Southtowns
Walleye Association members, have committed to help and the list grows by
the day. It may be quite possible to get several thousand e-mails
sent! Now I need your help to stop these invasive species. Please help
circulate this e-mail and support the effort by sending your e-mail between
6:00 PM EST on March 26 and 6:00 AM EST March 28, 2005.
Sincerely,
Thomas Marks
NY Director
Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council
Email: tom.marks@eriectyfsc.org