By AP
CHICAGO –
The president of a Great Lakes environmental group says he's optimistic that Congress will pass a bill speeding up research on a long-term solution to keep the invasive Asian carp out of the lakes.
Joel Brammeier heads the Alliance for the Great Lakes. He believes Congress now knows how critical the situation is after a 3-foot Asian carp was found beyond the electrical barrier meant to stop them.
The group for years has called for research on constructing a permanent structure to keep invasive species from passing between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds.
Asian carp have been migrating toward the lakes for decades. Biologists fear they could devastate the Great Lakes $7 billion-a-year fishing industry.