EDDYVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It is going to take an act of Congress to combat a threat here at home in the Commonwealth.
That’s why Congressman James Comer was in Eddyville Friday.
It was standing room only as federal, state and locals gave testimony to troubles in the water.
The exploding population of the invasive Asian Carp is getting worse for native species, worse for boaters and worse for professional bass fisherman.
The WHAS11 i-Team featured a bow fishing tournament to help control the Carp Madness, as well as commercial fishing to pull them out by the thousands of pounds.
State Fisheries Director Ron Brooks hopes Congress will see the net value in incentivizing more commercial catches to export.
"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 macroinvertebrates 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."
More experts, more jobs, and more fish out of our waters.
That's a pretty strong congressional campaign against carp.
Investigative Researcher Andrea Ash contributed to this report. Ash can be reached at aash@whas11.com and (502) 582-7297. iTeam Investigator John Charlton can be reached at jcharlton@whas11.com and (502) 582-7263.