House committee votes to ban Asian carp

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Judiciary Committee on March 29 voted to ban imports of Asian carp, a fish that officials from Great Lakes states fear will wreak havoc on the lakes' ecosystems.

"This invader is a threat to the Great Lakes' multibillion-dollar fishing industry, and Wisconsin's fishing tradition," said Rep. Mark Green, R-WI., the bill's sponsor. "We have an obligation to stop it while we can."

The bill would ban the importation and interstate transfer of Asian carp, which southern fish farmers depend on to control parasites.

Some carp have escaped the farms and made their way north along the Mississippi River and its tributaries and could soon push into the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes region, the world's largest surface freshwater system, already is battling other exotic species, such as zebra mussels.

The voracious carp, which often leap out of the water, can grow to more than 100 pounds. The bill passed the committee without dissent Wednesday. Southern lawmakers are likely to oppose the legislation on the House floor.