QUEEN’S PARK—In the wake of four grass carp—a species of invasive Asian carp—found to be reproducing in Ohio’s Sandusky River, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett, a Progressive Conservative member of the opposition, is calling for a full frontal assault on the invaders and re-allocating the necessary resources to the Ministry of Natural Resources for the battle.
The grass carp were caught in the Sandusky River in October 2012 by a commercial fisherman. It was confirmed on October 28 of this year that the fish were born and raised in the river. This is the first confirmed reproduction of any Asian carp species in the Great Lakes, or its tributaries.
Asian carp were originally imported to the southern United States to help control vegetation in aquaculture and wastewater treatment retention ponds, a press release from the MPP’s office explains. Some of the fish escaped into the Mississippi River system, and then subsequently north to the Missouri and Illinois Rivers. An electronic barrier is all that is keeping Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal. A chain link fence is the only barrier in Indiana’s Eagle March, where floodwaters could allow Asian carp direct access into Lake Erie.
“I have long feared the day when Asian carp start reproducing in the Great Lakes,” Mr. Barrett said. “The potential for disaster is there.”
Besides an overall concern for the health of the Great Lakes, Mr. Barrett is concerned of the implications for the $7 billion sports fishery and $234 million commercial fishery. Both commercial and sports angling are important economic drivers within the Algoma-Manitoulin riding. Both bighead and silver carp can wipe out plankton and other small aquatic organisms that are at the base of the food chain for native fish.
In addition, grass carp have the potential to wipe out entire plant communities in Long Point’s Inner Bay and Rondeau Bay on Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair. Long Point is recognized as one of the most important stopover areas for migrating waterfowl in eastern North America. This could impact waterfowl on a continental scale.
Asian carp now make up more than 80 percent of the biomass in some river systems where they are established, according to Mr. Barrett’s research.
Last Monday at Queen’s Park, Mr. Barrett addressed the premier. “People are concerned about serious threats to our Great Lakes, and your government seems paralyzed as far as taking any action. I don’t see any action. You talk about your strategy, your goals, your intentions, setting up panels but no action where immediate action in conjunction with Great Lakes states and the federal government is crucial and long overdue.”
“You have tabled yet another environmental bill, previously killed by prorogation, a bill setting up more panels, a guardian council,” he continued. “Premier, this all does nothing to deal with the clear and present danger of an invasion of Asian carp. Grass carp and bighead carp are already in Lake Erie. Silver carp-these are the ones that jump 10 feet out of the water-and black carp are on their way. What have you done about those?”
According to Hansard, the official record of debates on the legislature, in response, Minister of Environment Jim Bradley responded, “In regard to the second part, I’ll refer that to the Minister of Natural Resources. But this is quite rich coming from a political party and a caucus that voted against the Great Lakes Protection Act, widely hailed by a good cross-section of the people of the province of Ontario as yet another positive step in protecting the Great Lakes. Two of the parties in this House, the Liberal Party—the government—and the New Democratic Party, voted in favour of the legislation, bringing it to committee for further consideration and representation. I find it passing strange that the member would ask a question about the Great Lakes when, in fact, his party is opposing a major initiative designed to protect the Great Lakes in the province of Ontario. It once again demonstrates how difficult it is to be part of a party that wants you.”
Hansard reports that Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti also addressed the questions, saying, “This is something that we do take very seriously with respect to the protection of our natural resources with respect to the Great Lakes. I should tell you that the premier met with the Great Lakes governors, probably the first time this meeting has taken place in nearly a decade, on Mackinac Island in the Mackinac Straits just recently. I can tell you that our government is working closely with the federal government and with border enforcement officers as well.”
“In fact,” the minister continued, “we have intercepted 39,000 pounds of Asian carp destined for Ontario markets at the border. We have established an Invasive Species Research Centre, and we are deploying staff and resources necessary to help prevent the spread of Asian carp in our lakes. As well, MNR has implemented an Asian carp response plan in partnership with DFO. We deployed field crews to the Grand River, and the testing on this carp was that the carp was sterile and non-productive. We’re going to continue to monitor.”
“Billions and billions in tourism and fishery dollars are at stake,” Mr. Barrett stated in the Ontario Legislature. “We need action, not more environmental laws or strategies or panels or dithering. We need an MNR bill to put invasive species on the front burner and make it a top priority. It’s an MNR issue, not environment.”
“Ministry staff need the reallocated financial resources to deal with it,” Mr. Barrett said last week at Queen’s Park. “It needs to be a government priority. Put the focus on Great Lakes protection. The wolf is truly at the door. This will cripple the Great Lakes.”
To combat the invasion, Mr. Barrett suggested MNR follow through on its own suggestion to require all Asian carp coming into Ontario for food to be gutted. The latter suggestion came in the wake of several Toronto restaurant related businesses being charged for attempting to bring live fish across the border despite heavy fines to discourage the practice.
Despite Mr. Barrett’s insistence that invasive species are an MNR issue and Asian carp didn’t play a large enough role in the Great Lakes Protection Act, his question, on his second day of questioning, was answered by Phil McNeely, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment rather than the Minister of Natural Resources.
“They just don’t get it and aren’t putting the emphasis on Asian carp it needs,” Mr. Barrett said. “This is the largest threat to the Great Lakes ever—bar none.”
