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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Silver and bighead carp, also known as "Asian
3carp", are considered invasive species in the Mississippi and
4Illinois Rivers; Asian carp can consume plankton at an alarming
5rate, with bighead carp sometimes growing to over 5 feet in
6length and weighing 100 pounds or more; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Asian carp females can carry over 2 million eggs
8at a time; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Asian carp grow quickly such that adults exceed
10the gape size of all but the largest predators; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Asian carp are voracious eaters, consuming up to
1220% of their body weight per day in plankton; they compete with
13native fish species for food and can quickly overtake native
14populations of fish in our rivers, lakes, and streams; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Policymakers, scientists, natural resource
16professionals, the fishing industry, and citizens are
17extremely concerned about the spread of Asian carp to the Great
18Lakes; Illinois' $15 billion-dollar shipping industry has been
19threatened through ongoing legal actions by neighboring Great
20Lakes states in an attempt to close Chicago's navigation locks,
21a possible point for Asian carp to access Lake Michigan; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Over the past 2 years, efforts by the Illinois
2Department of Natural Resources (the Department), through
3contracts with Illinois commercial fishermen, have netted the
4removal of over 415 tons of bighead and silver Asian carp from
5the Illinois River; in some cases, commercial fishers in the
6Illinois River have caught tens of thousands of pounds of Asian
7carp in a single day; and
 
8    WHEREAS, At the same time Asian carp are processed into
9fertilizers or pet foods, America's food banks are experiencing
10a significant need for healthy, protein-rich food sources
11capable of meeting the increasing demands of communities of
12need; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In a 2011 Public Health Opinion to the Department,
14the Illinois Department of Public Health determined that using
15Asian carp as a food source "could be beneficial" and "not
16expected to pose a public health hazard."; furthermore, the
17Department of Public Health stated: "Fish tissue data currently
18available for Asian carp caught from the Mississippi River and
19lower Illinois River would place many of these fish in the
20'unlimited consumption' category"; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Asian carp are high in protein and healthy Omega-3
22fatty acids; additionally, since they only eat plankton and are

 

 

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1not bottom feeders, Asian carp are low in mercury and other
2contaminants; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Department established Target Hunger Now!,
4one of the largest humanitarian efforts ever undertaken by the
5State, to encourage hunters and commercial anglers to donate
6deer and Asian carp, respectively, for processing into healthy,
7ready-to-serve meals; partnering with Feeding Illinois,
8Illinois American Water, and other corporate, not-for-profit,
9and governmental partners, the Department is innovatively
10feeding communities and lessening the Asian carp threat to our
11waterways; the program has already served more than 2,200 meals
12to people in need; and
 
13    WHEREAS, On Thursday, January 26, 2012, the Department
14brought the Target Hunger Now! program to Peoria's South Side
15Mission where delicious Asian carp meals were prepared and
16served to children, adults, and families; Peoria is located on
17the banks of the Illinois River, where Asian carp are found in
18abundance; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Many small Illinois businesses, including meat
20and fish processing plants and large commercial fishing crews,
21will add jobs to meet the increased demand for processed Asian
22carp; the success of Target Hunger Now! and other similar
23programs will create a demand for Asian carp and drive market

 

 

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1opportunities that will create job opportunities in multiple
2industries; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Using Asian carp as a healthy food source is a
4major step towards eradication of the fish in Illinois waters,
5providing a healthy and delicious meal for our citizens,
6protecting the waterway shipping industry from forced closures
7of our locks and dam systems, and adding new jobs in many
8sectors of Illinois' economy, including the fishing,
9processing, and transportation industries; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Public and media perception of this fish species
11must change if they are to be effectively used as a quality
12food source at not only food banks, but by all Illinoisans;
13therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
15ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That we urge the Department
16to continue building strong partnerships with Feeding
17Illinois, Illinois American Water, and other corporate,
18not-for-profit, and governmental entities and to continue
19employing creative solutions, including Target Hunger Now!, to
20battle the Asian carp problem in our waterways while providing
21a protein-rich, low-mercury meal for Illinoisans; and be it
22further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we urge further use of Asian carp as a
2healthy food source as well as the development of markets for
3the catch, processing, and distribution of Illinois' Asian
4carp, thereby reducing the overpopulation of Asian carp in our
5waterways, promoting Illinois' commercial fishing industry,
6protecting Illinois' shipping industry, creating new jobs for
7our citizens, and forming new international export
8partnerships; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to the President of the United States, the Governor
11of the State of Illinois, the Director of the Illinois
12Department of Natural Resources, the members of the Illinois
13congressional delegation, the Governors of the Great Lakes
14states of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio,
15Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and the Minister of Natural
16Resources for the Government of Ontario.