[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 102 (Thursday, July 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7319-S7320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEVIN (for himself, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
        Feingold, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Durbin, and Ms. Stabenow):
  S. 1421. A bill to amend section 42 of title 18, United States Code, 
to prohibit the importation and shipment of certain species of carp; to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Asian Carp 
Prevention and Control Act to list bighead carp as injurious under the 
Lacey Act, along with Senators Voinovich, Schumer, Feingold, 
Gillibrand, Durbin and Stabenow. 
  Asian carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes because they 
are large, extremely prolific, and consume vast amounts of food. The 
Bighead carp grow quickly and can grow to over 50 pounds. In addition 
to the harmful ecological impact that the Bighead carp has had to 
native fisheries, these fish pose a considerable hazard to boaters and 
can cause human and property injuries.
  The Bighead carp compete with native fish for food and habitat. The 
Bighead carp, along with the other species of Asian carp, account for 
the majority of fish in the Missouri River. These fish have little 
economic or sport value compared to native fish.
  The Bighead carp are used in aquaculture ponds in the South to 
control algae, and because of flooding in the 1990s, the fish escaped 
the aquaculture ponds and entered into the Mississippi River. They have 
spread to most of the Mississippi River watershed and the Missouri 
River. Because the Mississippi River is connected to the Great Lakes 
through a man-made sanitary and ship canal, the Asian carp are now 
close to invading the Great Lakes. Fortunately, the Corps of Engineers 
is operating an electric dispersal barrier to prevent the carp and 
other non-native fish from moving between the Mississippi River and the 
Great Lakes.
  I want to make sure that all pathways to introduce the Bighead carp 
are blocked. The legislation that I am introducing today would list the 
Bighead carp as injurious under the Lacey Act. Listing the Bighead carp 
as injurious would minimize the risk of intentional introduction by 
prohibiting the importation and interstate transportation of live Asian 
carp without a permit. This legislation would not interfere with 
existing state regulations of the fish, and permits to transport or 
purchase live Bighead carp may be issued for research or educational 
purposes. The Fish and Wildlife Service has already listed three other 
species of Asian carp as injurious through rulemaking procedures.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This country is facing a 
serious challenge as a result of thousands of invasive species, like 
the Bighead carp, being introduced into this Nation.

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