Public Briefing Of Asian Carp Issue July 27 In Eddyville

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A public field briefing about the impact of Asian carp will be held July 27 in Eddyville, Ky. U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky will host the event.The field briefing will discuss the impact of Asian carp on Kentucky waterways, including expert testimony from Ron Brooks, director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as those involved in the local fishing and tourism industries. Officials from federal and state agencies involved in combating the Asian carp problem also will provide testimony.“Asian carps include four fish species which were brought into the United States in the 1970s: grass, bighead, silver and black carp,” Brooks said. “Bighead and silver carp were imported to help control algae and micro-invertebrates in extremely fertile aquaculture rearing ponds and sewage treatment ponds. These species are beginning to dominate fish biomass in Kentucky and Barkley lakes. They threaten a tourism economy valued at over $1.2 billion annually in Kentucky and Tennessee.”Brooks has studied the impact of Asian carp on the Mississippi River system for the last 20 years.The briefing begins at 2 p.m. (Central time) at the Lyon Convention Center, 172 Lee S. Jones Rd. in Eddyville.