Duckworth Statement on Discovery of Silver Carp in Illinois Waterway

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - In response to the discovery of a Silver Carp in the Illinois Waterway nine miles away from Lake Michigan, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement:

"The discovery of a Silver Carp close to Lake Michigan is alarming and I appreciate the quick response from federal, state and local agencies. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service increases its monitoring of the area and conducts a thorough analysis, my office will continue to work closely with Illinois businesses, advocates and communities to identify the most appropriate path forward."

As the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife, Duckworth has been outspoken about the need to protect against the threat invasive species like the Asian Carp pose to the food supply and the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishing industry. Duckworth has also been a vocal critic of the Trump Budget, which would eliminate the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a critical program that protects the Great Lakes from toxic pollution and invasive species like Asian Carp.

Duckworth recently joined U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and a number of their Midwestern colleagues in urging the Trump administration to release a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers analysis on how to stop Asian Carp from getting past the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, a choke point to prevent Asian Carp from traveling from the Chicago Waterway System to the Great Lakes. Duckworth also signed a bipartisan letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt urging him to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative instead of eliminating its funding as the Trump administration's budget proposed.

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