New measures to battle invasive Asian carp

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CHICAGO, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Obama administration says the battle against invasive Asian carp, which have overwhelmed native U.S. fish populations, will get more aggressive this year.

"The 2012 framework will strengthen our defenses against Asian carp, moving even more innovative carp control projects from research into implementation," said John Goss, Asian carp director for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

New measures could include female fish urine intended to lure male carp to traps, fish toxin distributed inside specially tailored nano-matrices and a large underwater gun meant to deter intrepid carp headed toward the Great Lakes from the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Administration officials said $51.5 million will be allocated to monitor and control the invasive species that has been making a 30-year trek through U.S. rivers toward Lake Michigan.

Sonar will be installed on electric barriers in Chicago canals that connect rivers to the lake for better monitoring of carp, they said, and a gun that shoots a high-energy pulse of water to deter fish was successfully tested last year.

Officials said they expect to field test nano-sized fish toxins to see if specially designed capsules holding the toxin will allow them to selectively kill Asian carp.