Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Releases 2018 Asian Carp Action Plan
May 21, 2018
The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) announced today the release of its 2018 Asian Carp Action Plan. Developed annually since 2010, the action plan is designed to prevent the spread of invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes. The action plan incorporates advances in the most current science making it a continually evolving foundation for the work of the ACRCC partnership — a collaboration of 27 U.S. and Canadian federal, state, and provincial agencies and organizations. This annual plan provides a portfolio of strategic measures, including early detection and monitoring, prevention and control, contingency response, and development of new technologies.
The 2018 Asian Carp Action Plan builds on insights gained from past efforts with the addition of new technologies, management approaches, and tools. Key ACRCC initiatives for 2018 include:
- Increased efforts to field test potential Asian carp deterrents including underwater sound and carbon dioxide.
- Refinement and use of more effective sampling and harvest strategies informed by a population model.
- Additional work to address the growing threats from black and grass carp.
- Increased use of focused contract commercial fishing to remove adult Asian carp in the upper Illinois River to support ACRCC management goals.
The action plan also addresses priorities for early detection and monitoring of all life stages of Asian carp, support for the electric dispersal barrier, secondary pathway mitigation, and stakeholder communication and outreach. The ACRCC’s annual strategy further supports the goals and recommendations of the national Management and Control Plan for Bighead, Black, Grass, and Silver Carps in the United States.