The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are hosting a media day on July 30 at Barkley Lock and Dam to showcase the ongoing installation of a bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) to deter the spread of Asian carp in Kentucky waters.
U.S. Rep. James Comer; Allan Brown, assistant regional director for Fish and Aquatic Conservation, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service – Southeast Region; Major Justin Toole, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District deputy commander; Ron Brooks, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources fisheries director; Frank Fiss, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency chief of Fisheries; are making comments. They are agency subject matter experts on the BAFF system and other Asian carp control efforts. Experts from Fish Guidance Systems, the United Kingdom-based company whose BAFF system technology is being installed at Lake Barkley, are also attending.
Formal remarks by U.S. Rep. Comer and federal and state officials will be followed by a demonstration of electrofishing in the dam’s tail waters.
Officials said, "The spread of four species of large carp—bighead, black, grass, and silver—native to Asia—are threatening the Southeast’s renowned aquatic biodiversity and local outdoor economies. In recent years, the established invaders have expanded their distribution and abundance, including in southeastern waters like Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
"Collaboration between federal and state partners on the front line of the response to Asian carp allows for the efficient and effective leveraging of scientific expertise, collecting data, developing new technologies, and undertaking strategic planning across the various basins. An example of this collaboration is the large-scale sound deterrent field trial at Barkley Lock and Dam. The goal of the bio-acoustic fish fence is to reduce the use of the locks by Asian carp, thus helping to protect hundreds of river miles that remain relatively untouched by carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Deployment of the Asian carp deterrent system is expected later this year, and the field trial will continue for a three-year period."
For more information about Asian Carp, go to http://www.asiancarp.us/ or Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service web site at https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Asian-Carp-Information.aspx.