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A University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professor will share his expertise before Congress on the problem of the invasive fish species Asian Carp that now threatens the Great Lakes fishery.
Professor of Fisheries Michael Hansen will testify before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment on Tuesday, February 9, in Washington D.C. The invitation came from James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
In January the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it will not force Illinois to shut locks in Chicago that other states say could allow Asian carp into Lake Michigan. Hours later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it had found Asian carp DNA in Lake Michigan. The question before the Congress and fishery experts is how best to mitigate the migration of Asian carp into the Great Lakes ecosystem.
A native of Ashland, Hansen is co-editor of the “North American Journal of Fisheries Management.” He was appointed to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission by President Bush in 2004. He continues to conduct research on fishery management issues for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Hansen is an active member of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and has received numerous AFS awards for his outstanding service.
A faculty member at UWSP since 1996, Hansen received the University Scholar Award in 2000. He is also an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and UW-Milwaukee. Hansen holds degrees from Michigan State University, Cornell University and UWSP.
