Washington, D.C., Dec 1 - U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-MI, applauded today’s unanimous House passage of S. 1421 as another step forward in the fight against Asian Carp.

S. 1421 prohibits a species of Asian carp, bighead carp, from being shipped or imported in the U.S. by adding the invasive species to the list of injurious species under the Lacey Act, the primary law to combat illicit wildlife trafficking. The bill was introduced last year by Senator Carl Levin, D-MI, and passed the Senate on November 17, 2010. This bill will put the bighead species on par with two other species of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels.

“As we continue to work to achieve complete hydrological separation to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes, I am happy to see some parts of this effort moving ahead,” Camp said. “I support any positive steps we can take to prevent more Carp from getting into our country’s waterways, and to help protect the precious ecosystem, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and billions of dollars in income they provide.”

Camp was a co-sponsor of the House version, H.R. 3173, introduced by Rep. Judy Biggert, R-IL.

BACKGROUND: Asian Carp is an invasive species of fish making its way up the Mississippi River and threatening to wreak havoc on the Great Lakes’ $7.5 billion fishing industry and the 800,000 jobs it supports.
Camp leads this issue in Congress, as the co-author with Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, of the CARP ACT and a separate bill that builds on that one, the Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act, which is co-sponsored by all members of the Michigan delegation. For more information on Asian Carp, click here.