A one day public forum is set for Monday to address ways to prevent the invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Great Lakes Fishery commission will meet at the AllStream Centre on Exhibition grounds in Toronto.
Asian Carp arrived in North America in the 1960s and are migrating north to the Great Lakes, where they pose a serious threat to the ecosystem.
The Asian carp will out-compete native fish for food and habitat---decimating the commercial and sport fishing industries.
Asian carp can eat up to 40% of their body weight each day, and the diets of the four species threatening the lakes represents the complete freshwater food web, from plankton, to mussels.
Presentations are planned on the current status of the Asian carp population in the United States, and strategies that may stop an invasion of the Great Lakes.
“The effort to prevent an Asian carp invasion involves many agencies, organizations, and stakeholders and is a prime example of how cooperation is the foundation of fishery management in the Great Lakes basin. This forum is an opportunity to discuss the many actions that are being taken to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, and to hear from the people who live, work, and visit the region, and enjoy the resource,” says David Ullrich, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and forum presenter.
“The value of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes cannot be overstated and is a source of pride for both our nations. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is pleased to be co-hosting this public event that will highlight Canadian and American efforts to protect the Great Lakes," says Dave Burden, regional director general of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the Invasive Species Centre will be on hand along with U.S. agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers.
