Illinois Trout Unlimited would like to thank Mayor Rahm Emanuel for adding the City of Chicago to the Great Lakes Basin Partnership to Block Asian Carp.
Also signed by Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario, the partnership seeks to stop the spread of Asian carp to Lake Michigan through the implantation of the US Army Corps of Engineer’s Brandon Road Tentatively Selected Plan (above).
As the largest freshwater ecosystem on earth, the Great Lakes are home to hundreds of fish and wildlife species, from coaster brook trout and coho salmon to blue herons and wood ducks. This wildlife drives a significant and crucial part of the Great Lakes outdoor economy as it supports a $7 billion fishery, a $16 billion tourism industry, and over 1.6 million jobs within the basin.
If Asian carp were to reach Lake Michigan, local and regional economies would be put at risk, billions of dollars of restoration investments would be jeopardized, and native fish populations would be outcompeted.
We urge state and local elected leaders to work to ensure that the Great Lakes are protected for generations to come.
Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization. Illinois Trout Unlimited represents 3,000 sportsmen and women to ensure the region’s trout and salmon resources remain protected and healthy.