Officials Go Public on Invasive Asian Carp

[rmarentette]

November 06, 2012 09:01 ET

 

 

Officials Go Public on Invasive Asian Carp

 

 

 

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 6, 2012) - As invasive Asian carp threaten to disrupt the Great Lakes environment, key U.S. and Canadian officials will speak to a capacity crowd at the Asian Carp Public Forum in Toronto this Thursday, November 8th. Co-hosted by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Invasive Species Centre, the Forum is in response to growing public concerns about the risk of Asian carp establishing in the Great Lakes.

 

"The potential threat to the health of our shared Great Lakes from the invasion of Asian carp cannot be countered effectively by any one jurisdiction," said Hon. Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources, who will open the Forum. "As a member of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, Ontario joins with our American federal, state and Canadian counterparts to coordinate prevention, early detection, response, and enforcement efforts against the further spread of this invasive species."

 

Key players from the U.S. and Canada will discuss Asian carp control strategies, the nature and extent of the issue, current efforts to stop migration, planning for the future, and what individuals can do to stop the introduction of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.

 

"The Great Lakes represent an important economic and cultural asset for Canada and the United States. We are firmly committed to working together with our partners to protect this ecosystem and the industries and individuals who depend on it," said Hon. Minister Gail Shea of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. "As Asian carp are not yet established in the Great Lakes, we are taking action now to prevent their introduction into the Great Lakes in the future".

 

Interested organizations, members of the public, and media can see the agenda and register for the Forum webinar at www.invasivespeciescentre.ca/asiancarp. A press conference is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. at the Palais Royale on Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto.

 

 

Contact Information

• 
   
  Deborah Sparks
  Invasive Species Centre
  (705) 541-5771

[captpierre]

Time for action. 'nuf talk!