In a last-ditch effort to stop the dreaded Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will poison a portion of the Sanitary and Ship Canal next month, the Tribune reports.
That's right. The DNR is poisoning the water.
They'll use a toxin called Rotenone, touted as "safe for humans when properly applied by certified personnel and according to all instructions on the label." But don't eat the fish afterwards.
Officials have been using electrified fences to try to keep the carp out of Lake Michigan, but the tenacious younger fish aren't stopped by shock therapy.
Before officials dump Rotenone into the canal, they'll use electric probes to shock as many fish to the surface as they can. The game fish that can be saved will be. Then it's sayonara carp.
But will poisoning the canal in a month actually stop the Asian carp from getting into Lake Michigan, or is that a foregone conclusion? Even if the nasty buggers will get into the Great Lakes no matter what anyone does, it must make DNR staffers feel good to nuke 'em a couple of times first.
As Fatboy Dan says, "Just kill 'em. Kill 'em."
