Little Bay de Noc Fishing Reports

Great Lakes Basin Report - October 11, 2012 Special Report Asian Carp surveys intensify

Crews again intensify monitoring in Chicago Area Waterway System

eDNA Results shows three consecutive eDNA rounds of positive results

CHICAGO- The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) on October 9^th announced intensive monitoring action will begin in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River on Tuesday, October 16th, after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA in the North Shore Channel.

IL DNR Aquatic Nuisance species coordinator Vic Santucci advised members of the Barrier Safety committee on October 10 that the response group will implement scheduled plans for intensive monitoring. Those plans call for a Level 1 response after three consecutive rounds of positive eDNA results in one area. Three separate eDNA samples sets were taken at the North Shore Channel between June 11th and September 11th, revealing 17 positives for silver carp DNA out of 171 samples.

Biologists from the Illinois DNR, USFWS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be on the water with contracted commercial fishermen beginning Tuesday October 16th through Friday, October 19th. The crews will lay various net types throughout the North Shore Channel and in channel areas of the Chicago River. Agency electrofishi ng boats will sample fish in shoreline areas and will be used to drive fish towards the nets. Gears will be attended at all times and commercial and private vessel traffic will be able to proceed with minimal interference. A notice to mariners will be broadcast by the U.S. Coast Guard to further inform any water traffic during this effort, and daily updates will be posted on the ACRCC website http://asiancarp.us .

As an extra precaution, the ACRCC also will conduct intensive monitoring in a six-mile stretch of the Chicago River beginning near the Chicago lock, after one set of samples tested positive for eDNA in that area. While the North Shore Channel is regularly monitored for the presence of Asian carp, the level 1 response intensifies efforts with additional commercial fishing crews, agency electrofishing boats, and additional deep water sampling gear during an intensive four-day fishing period.

While the science still does not tell us whether eDNA is from a live fish, a dead fish, or another source, finding three consecutive sets of positive samples triggers us to use significant resources to determine whether any Asian carp are present, said John Goss, Asian Carp Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. This is part of the ACRCCs comprehensive Asian carp control strategy that includes continuing aggressive monitoring to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, developing cutting edge control technologies, and refining the use of eDNA.

"The Army Corps are conducting studies on the variability of eDNA seeking to determine what the bottom line source is" responded Santucci to a query by the GLSFC

Dan Thomas, President

Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council glsfc(äcomcast.net

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