Milwaukee Weather
Poisoned Asian Carp Begin Dying
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- Poisoned fish are beginning to float to the surface of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. That's the waterway where more than 2,000 gallons of toxin were dumped Wednesday as part of efforts to halt the spread of the invasive Asian carp. Illinois environmental officials hoped to kill off any carp in the canal while the electrical barrier that's designed to keep them from the Great Lakes is turned off for maintenance. Biologists from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are monitoring the fish kill. Department spokesman Chris McCloud says more than a dozen boats will be used later in the day to begin cleanup operations. Environmentalists fear the carp could starve out other fish and cause the collapse of the $7 billion-a-year Great Lakes fishing industry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is among those calling for the locks to be closed. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and several environmental groups are considering going to court to force the closure of the locks. The fear is the aggressive and massive carp could quickly take over the lakes and starve out other fish. |
     
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