Sens. Brown, Toomey Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Prevent Invasion Of Asian Carp To Ohio River Basin

“Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act” Would Require Action on Solutions to Slow Spread of Asian Carp

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) today announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation that would help prevent the invasion of Asian carp to the Ohio River basin. The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act will enable the federal government to have a more effective partnership with state and local entities that are fighting to end the spread of Asian carp.

“The continued movement of Asian carp up the Ohio River could grind to a halt Ohio's multi-million dollar fishing and boating industries,” Brown said. “The Ohio River basin remains dangerously vulnerable to an Asian carp invasion. The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act is a bipartisan bill that would ensure a definitive plan to control and prevent Asian carp from entering streams and rivers in our state. We must move aggressively and quickly to protect our waterways.”

“Southwestern Pennsylvania’s iconic three rivers – the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio – are vital for both commerce and recreation. The spread of Asian carp in the Ohio River threatens this, and the federal government must act as a cooperative partner with state and local governments to stop this invasive species and protect the Ohio River basin’s ecosystem and economy,” Toomey said. “The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act will help do just that, and I urge my colleagues to join us in defending the Ohio River basin against this invasive species.”    

Although several federal agencies have been working to combat Asian carp, none have been designated as the lead agency to coordinate the federal response with state and local partners in the Ohio and Upper Mississippi River Basins. The Strategic Response to Asian Carp Invasion Act places the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in charge of coordinating a new federal multi-agency effort that includes the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Army Corps of Engineers.  These agencies would provide high-level technical assistance, coordination, best practices, and other means of support to state and local governments that are working to protect economies and ecosystems in the Ohio River basin from Asian carp.

Sen. Brown has worked diligently with members of both parties on legislative efforts to stop Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes' ecosystem. In June 2012, he helped to pass the Stop Invasive Species Act, which requires the expedited creation of a plan to block Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries across the Great Lakes region. 

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Press Contact

Brown - (202) 224-3978

Toomey - (202) 224-8609