John Flesher | Associated Press

An Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jumps out of the Illinois River. The fishs DNA was detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July?30-31 from Sandusky Bay in Lake Erie.

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday August 29, 2012 8:15 AM

The discovery of additional Asian carp DNA in Sandusky Bay has state and federal wildlife officials increasing efforts to see whether the invasive fish has entered Lake Erie.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported yesterday that Asian carp DNA had been detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July 30-31.

In earlier tests, four of 325 water samples in Sandusky Bay and two of 92 samples taken from Maumee Bay were positive. State and federal officials swept the area over three days this month but found no actual Asian carp.

We are going to go out and do more electro-fishing and netting to see what we can find, said Bethany McCorkle, an agency spokeswoman. We wont know until we actually have a live fish.Jeffrey Reutter, the director of Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State Universitys Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie, called the latest test results disappointing.

At this point, that is definitely worrisome, he said.

Finding breeding carp would signal a huge threat to the lakes $1-billion-a-year fishing industry and its $10-billion-a-year tourism industry. The carp out-compete native fish for food. After escaping fish farms during massive floods in 1993, they now dominate several stretches of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Sandy Bihn, the director of the Toledo-based Lake Erie Waterkeeper advocacy group, expressed hope that the fish havent set up housekeeping.

Originally posted here:
Lake Erie experts fear DNA spike is sign of Asian carp