WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised Senate passage of his measure to combat the spread of Asian Carp in both Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in Western Kentucky. Senator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the provision in the government funding bill earlier this month. A House/Senate Conference Committee must now approve the legislation.
Senator McConnell’s provision directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to focus its efforts on combatting the serious threat of Asian Carp in Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. The legislation also provides $11 million dollars — a $600,000 increase from last year’s enacted level — for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to control Asian Carp in both lakes and the larger Mississippi and Ohio River Basins.
“With passage of the Senate bill today, we are one step closer to sending federal resources to combat the spread of Asian Carp in Western Kentucky. The invasion of these Carp is severely affecting tourism, the Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake communities, and the multi-billion dollar fishing industry in Kentucky. Not only are these fish a danger for the local economy, but they are also a safety hazard for anglers and boaters,” Senator McConnell said. “As Senate Majority Leader, I fought to secure these critical resources for our Commonwealth that will help ensure the Asian Carp crisis in Kentucky’s waters becomes a national priority. I am proud to stand with Congressman James Comer (KY-01), Lyon County Judge/Executive Wade White and Marshall County Judge/Executive Kevin Neal to address this important issue, and I would like to thank them for their continued leadership.”
