Asian Carp Sampling Effort Continues on Little Calumet River: No Bighead or Silver carp collected

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2010

Chris McCloud 217‐299‐7128
Ashley Spratt 612‐247‐2976

Chicago, IL- The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) continued sampling efforts on the Little Calumet River in South Chicago. On Thursday the fish toxicant, Rotenone, was successfully applied to a 2.5 mile section of the waterway and detoxification and fish recovery operations began.

Fisheries biologists from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other supporting agencies have collected just under 100,000 pounds fish so far (mostly Common carp and Gizzard shad) though no Bighead or Silver Asian carps have been found. More fish will be recovered over the next few days. The goal of the operation is to establish the total fish population size in the treatment area and whether any Asian carp are present.

A five mile safety zone established by the U.S. Coast Guard remains in effect, restricting maritime traffic from mile marker 321.5 to 326.5 to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic until the Coast Guard Captain of the Port rescinds the safety zone following the completion of fish recovery operations sometime in the next 2-3 days.

The public should NOT swim or recreate in the treatment area, or catch or eat fish found in the treatment area until signs around the treatment area have been removed.

Photographs and b-roll footage from the operation will be uploaded daily to the U.S. Coast Guard's Visual Information Gallery at http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php.