Granholm, Cherry Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Asian Carp

Statement

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry, Jr. today issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of the state's emergency request to close shipping locks in Chicago to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp:

"While we continue the legal battle and await the Court's ruling on our remaining motions, we must increase our efforts with other branches of the federal government to physically separate the Mississippi River watershed from the Great Lakes basin to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The Asian carp poses a significant threat to the Great Lakes, and it is imperative that the federal government prioritize and advance a solution that separates these two watersheds. The current plan to continuously poison and electro-shock the canal to remove carp is not sustainable, and a permanent physical barrier must be considered to protect the $16 billion recreational boating and fishing industry in the Great Lakes region. Without an ecological separation of the Mississippi River watershed and the Great Lakes, we increase the risk of Asian carp entering our waters, causing great harm to businesses large and small that rely on the tourism that recreational boating and fishing bring to our region."

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