Testimony has begun in a federal lawsuit over the invasive Asian carp.
Federal Judge Robert Dow heard testimony from a Notre Dame ecologist. Dr. David Lodge was called by the Michigan Attorney General’s office, which is collaborating with four other states. Lodge says he’s collected samples from the waterways around Chicago. In most of those cases, his research shows the DNA of the Asian carp has been present. Dr. Lodge testified that as recently as May, he found eight examples of carp DNA in the downtown branch of the Chicago River.
Michigan is arguing the judge should take action to prevent the invasive fish from infesting the Great Lakes.
Tomorrow, the judge is expected to hear testimony from an Italian scientist who first conducted research on collecting DNA samples.