In response to a request by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and Governor Ted Strickland, White House officials have appointed a point person to oversee the ongoing battle against the spread of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.
John Goss, current head of the Indiana Wildlife Federation and former head of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, was named yesterday to coordinate federal, state and local efforts under way to address the migration of Asian carp into the lakes.
Attorney General Cordray issued the following statement in response to the appointment:
“This appointment is a necessary step to ensure that the immediate threat of Asian carp is met with effective and decisive action. We hope that Mr. Goss will recognize the situation as dire, and see that it is not too late to prevent this invasive species from causing an ecological disaster. We will continue to call for action through the courts, federal government and Congress, and will pursue all other available avenues until the carp are no longer a threat to Ohio and its multi-billion dollar fishing industries.”
Cordray also filed a federal lawsuit in July, along with attorneys general from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, asking the court to order immediate action to permanently block the carp from spreading. Hearings on the case are expected to continue in Chicago.