Has Michigan Got Carp?

The Detroit News: Asian carp DNA found in Lake Michigan for first time

Feds: Don't panic over carp - DNA found in lakes; Granholm calls for White House summit

In short, even as certain Federal agencies deny it, it is most likely that the Asian Carp have already made their way into the Great Lakes, via the Chicago sanitary canal, and all the fiddling around and delays in closing the Chicago canal permitted this to happen.

You'll notice Obama is backing Chicago rather than the ecosystem of the Great Lakes - No big surprise there.

For Cox, Tuesday's pair of announcements added up to bitter news, and he placed much of the blame for it at the feet of President Barack Obama.

"President Obama said he would not tolerate new threats to the Great Lakes, yet he has left the front door to Lake Michigan wide open," Cox said in a press release.

"Billions in economic activity and 800,000 Michigan jobs connected with the health of the lakes are at risk. His indifference is just stunning."

Cox was not alone in his criticism of the president. Noah Hall, a professor specializing in environmental law at Wayne State University, said Obama's failure to step in and compel closure of the waterways shows more concern for the objections expressed by the shipping industry and many of Illinois' elected officials.

"This was supposed to be the Great Lakes president," Hall said. "I don't think we're seeing that. What we're seeing is a Chicago president."

On the potential upside, Asian Carp is apparently tasty and good for you too, so this may open a new sport fishing angle for Michigan. It also might let us have an export to China where the carp is a prized eating fish. Then again the risk it presents to harming the current fish populations likely overwhelms any such potential reward.

At the very least, if we want to eradicate them, Michigan and the other states surrounding the Great Lakes should declare open season on carp for all anglers with no license required and no catch limits.