Asian carp are fish know for their big size and voracious appetite.

An electrical barrier currently blocks the species from crossing the Illinois River into Lake Michigan, but many people believe something more than an electrical barrier should be in place to ensure the fish do not invade. Michigan even went to the U.S.

Supreme Court in December 2009, asking that the shipping locks near Chicago be closed to prevent an Asian carp invasion.

Because the boating and fishing industries contribute about $25 billion to Michigan’s economy each year, state Rep. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, said the introduction of this carp into the Great Lakes would be devastating.

“Many of us are saying, ‘We’ve just got to not take a chance,’” he said. “‘There’s a lot of things we don’t know, but we just can’t take a chance.’”

Those living in states surrounding the Great Lakes worry about the negative effect Asian carp would have on local recreation and tourism.

Because of the great amount of food Asian carp eat, the fish likely would dominate the Great Lakes ecosystem, adversely affecting commercial fisheries and charter fishing operations that rely on a variety of aquatic life, as well as marinas, lakeshore restaurants, gas stations and camping facilities.

Some members of Congress already have been working to stop the spread of this species into the Great Lakes, Johnson said.

He hopes his resolution, along with the other adopted resolution sponsored by state Rep. Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle, will show Congress the invasion of this species still is a pressing issue for Michigan and its residents.

Brian Roth, an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, said many researchers also have been working on the issue. Scientists have been studying Asian carp, trying to reduce their abundance in the Illinois River as well as determine methods to prevent the spread of the species.

“The precautionary principle is really regarded here,” he said. “If you don’t want to find out what happens when they get here, don’t let them in.”

Because this week also is Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week in Michigan, Johnson said residents should consider problems caused by other non-native species that have invaded the state, including zebra mussels and lamprey eels, which Asian carp likely would create as well.

Throughout the course of decades, these organisms have cost the state millions of dollars to control, said Sarah LeSage, Aquatic Invasive Species program coordinator at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

“Aquatic invasive species compete for space, for food, can be a hindrance for recreation, lower property value and (are) costly for prevention and control,” LeSage said.

Johnson said Asian carp must not enter the Great Lakes, and with his resolution, he hopes Congress will realize the urgency of this issue.

“(Members of Congress) are tied up with other things right now,” he said. “It’s hard to get a lot of things talked about beside the budget, I’m sure, but I really have high hopes we can get somewhere with this.”