For immediate release: November 2, 2015

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission supports action proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take preventive measures to protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region from damaging invasive species. The agency announced plans to list ten fish and one crayfish species under a federal law that prohibits the importation and transport of harmful, non-native wildlife. The Commission agrees with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s scientific assessment that these species pose a significant threat to the economic and ecological health of the region and should be prohibited from importation into the United States.

Passed into law over 100 years ago, the injurious wildlife provisions of the federal Lacey Act are an important mechanism for preventing the introduction of harmful, non-native species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted science-based risk assessments to proactively identify invasive species threats, and is acting to prevent their introduction by listing them as injurious and prohibiting their importation.

The massive expansion of Asian carp in U.S. waterways underscores the importance of preventing the introduction of potentially harmful non-native species. These voracious fish are wreaking havoc in the Mississippi and Ohio river systems and could severely damage the environmental and economic health of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region if they become established. Three species of Asian carp were listed as injurious only after they were imported, escaped into the wild, and began their disruptive march up the Mississippi River.

“Costly and damaging species such as Asian carp, sea lamprey and zebra and quagga mussels teach us that we cannot afford to wait before taking action,” said Great Lakes Commission Chair Jon Allan, director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes. “This common-sense action will lower the risk of future invasions of harmful species and avoid the costs of controlling them,” Allan added.

The negative impacts of the 11 species proposed for listing have been documented in other parts of the world and there is no need for that damage to be replicated in the Great Lakes prior to their listing. They are known to compete with native fish for food, prey on native larvae and juvenile fish, carry infectious diseases, alter habitats, contribute to algal blooms, and disrupt local economies. Each of the 11 species has the potential to invade the region and undermine our $7 billion fishery, drinking water supply for 48 million people, globally unique freshwater habitats, and other benefits.

The Council of Great Lakes Governors included four of the 11 species in its “least wanted” list of species that pose the greatest threat and require preventative action. Currently, none of the 11 species is present in the Great Lakes or traded at a significant scale.

The Commission has consistently called for strengthened federal laws and programs to prevent the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species into the region. The Commission approved a resolution in September supporting the listing of these 11 species as injurious and calling on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to take similar action. The resolution also urges federal agencies in the U.S. and Canada to continue using existing authorities to expedite the identification and restrict the importation of non-native species that pose a high risk of being harmful to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region ecosystem and economy.

The Fish and Wildlife Service identified the following 11 species proposed for listing through a risk assessment that screened approximately 2,000 foreign species for invasiveness potential and climate match for the U.S. and the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River region: Yabby, a crayfish, and ten fish species: Amur Sleeper, Crucian Carp, Eurasian Minnow, European Perch, Nile Perch, Prussian Carp, Roach, Stone Moroko, Zander and Wels Catfish. Information on the proposed rule, including a link to the Federal Register notice, is available at http://www.fws.gov/injuriouswildlife/11-freshwater-species.html.

Contact: Erika Jensen, office: 734-971-9135, [email protected] 

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The Great Lakes Commission, led by Chairman Jon Allan, director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org.