Mr. Chairman, as someone who enjoys recreational activities like fishing, boating and hunting and represents thousands of Minnesotans who do as well, I feel a special responsibility to make sure that these opportunities are available for generations to come. Today, many of these activities are threatened by the spread of aquatic invasive species.

In my home state of Minnesota, we are increasingly challenged to find ways to prevent and control disruptive species from Eurasian Milfoil to European and Asian Carp, and most recently Zebra Mussels. In many areas, invasive European Carp have found their way into Minnesota’s wetlands and lakes, while species of Asian Carp have been found in Iowa and in the Mississippi River near the Minnesota border south of La Crosse, Wisconsin. If not properly addressed, both of these species threaten to disrupt the ecosystem that thousands of Americans enjoy for fishing and boating.

While there are measures in place such as electronic barriers to address the spread of aquatic invasive species, I would like to highlight a few more which deserve the attention, support, and action of Congress:

One way is through the development of state Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plans. These plans help federal, state and local officials identify activities to eliminate or reduce the environmental, public health and safety risks associated with aquatic invasive species. Although these management plans are available to both individual states and affected multi-state regions, only 16 states currently have approved plans with at least 14 other states with plans under development.

Unfortunately, the resources available to effectively implement these plans fall well short of the mark, holding at $1 million dollars for the third year in a row. These limited funds are not a sufficient commitment to prevent the billions of dollars in damage that will result from vulnerable species habitat destruction and lost recreational opportunities. Simply put, we need to invest more funding in these management plans if we hope to control the spread of these aquatic pests.

Another area in which we need to invest more federal resources is research into carp control. Take for instance research underway in my home state at the University of Minnesota where fish pheromones are being used as a control method for carp. This research, which I’m submitting into the record today, is being conducted by Dr. Peter Sorensen, deemed by many as the world’s leading expert on fish pheromones.

The intent of Dr. Sorensen’s research is to identify odors released by fish that can be isolated, manufactured, and used to control carp. Carp sex pheromones could be used to effectively aggregate and harvest Asian carp, whereas carp alarm pheromones could be used as a species-specific barrier to limit their expansion in river systems. This research is significant because current control methods for Asian carp are limited and pheromone research could lead to a cost effective and environmentally friendly approach to halting the spread of invasive carp.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me to testify today on an issue so important to Minnesotans through my state. There is no question that now is the time to act in order to combat the growing threat that invasive species pose to waterways throughout our country.

Mr. Chairman, I ask that my statement and the research of Dr. Peter Sorensen be made part of the record on today’s proceeding.