Cox Not Swayed By Latest Carp Proposal From Obama Administration GRAND RAPIDS, MI (Michigan Radio) - Attorney General Mike Cox says there's no sense of urgency in President Obama's plan for dealing with Asian Carp. The voracious fish have been found in shipping channels near Lake Michigan.

Biologists and economists fear that if the carp make it to the Great Lakes, they could force out native species and damage Michigan's fishing industry.

The attorney general has been holding a series of town hall meetings to discuss the problem. His office has also asked the Supreme Court to force the closure of shipping locks near Chicago.

The Obama administration issued a new plan for protecting the Great Lakes over the weekend. But Cox says he's not impressed.

"No, not at all," he says. "Primarily because it's more studies and not enough urgency to keep the fish out right now while we can."

The Obama administration has sided with Illinois officials who don't want to close the shipping locks because it would hurt their economy. Michigan officials say the potential damage from Asian Carp would be far worse.

Contact Dustin Dwyer at dtdwyer@umich.edu.

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