Electric barriers to stop Asian Carp

The seemingly unstoppable Asian Carp could be shocked by three electric barriers in the Mississippi River.

Although no action was taken on four bills dealing with aquatic invasive species, the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee agreed in principle during a Feb. 1 informational hearing to spend $13.5 million on the three carp barriers.

No breeding-sized populations of Asian Carp have been detected in the Mississippi River, although individual fish have been caught near the Twin Cities and in the St. Croix River. Funding expected to be contained in HF1809, sponsored by Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar), would build three low-voltage fish barriers on the Mississippi River: Lock and Dam No. 2 in Hastings, Lock and Dam No. 1 in south Minneapolis and at the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam just north of downtown Minneapolis.

Asian Carp are large, plankton-feeding fish that pose a threat to Minnesota’s rivers and lakes. Hackbarth characterized the situation as “very urgent and almost emergency status.”

“The common carp eats things off the bottom; they increase turbidity and cause algae blooms. Conversely, the Asian Carp are extremely effective filter feeders that greatly disrupt food chains and remove plankton from the water so that they become devoid of life, and the game fish disappear,” said Peter Sorenson, a specialist in Asian Carp and other aquatic invasive species with the University of Minnesota’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. He proposes creation of a research center at the university to take a multi-pronged, long-term approach to preventing Asian Carp and zebra mussels from damaging Minnesota’s waters. If approved by the Legislature, Sorenson’s center would be funded for eight years.

“A two- or three-year funding cycle is meaningless in the life of an animal that lives to be 30, 40 or 50 years old,” he said.

Sorenson hopes the research center would create detection systems for invasive species; new control systems; new barrier and eradication schemes; and designate a position at the University of Minnesota Extension Service to conduct research and forward findings to the Department of Natural Resources and related state departments.

Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls) sponsors HF1963 to fund faculty and graduate student research in the university’s Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior.

“I call Dr. Sorenson the FBI for invasives because he’s trying to understand his enemy so he can control it,” said Wagenius, who suggested using proceeds from the state lottery or the Legacy Fund to finance the fight against invasive species.

Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) questioned whether taxpayer money would be wasted if someone dumped a bucket of Asian Carp into the Mississippi River above the electric barriers.

Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) stated he plans to sponsor a bill providing penalties for malicious transfer of aquatic invasive species.