By Rick Howlett
Louisville, KY – Certain species of Asian Carp were introduced in the U.S. decades ago by catfish farmers to help remove their ponds of plankton. They migrated into the wild via floodwaters and are out-competing native species for food. The federal government has become involved in the effort to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes, and state Fisheries Director Ron Brooks says that help should be extended into this region.
What we need is the federal government to understand that if they don't help us, they're going to lose their war up there. And we've made some headway this last several months.
Brooks supports a plan that would allow limited commercial fishing in Kentucky and Barkley lakes. He says the carp could be sold to China, where they are highly prized as food. The idea has drawn resistance from recreation and sport fishing interests.