~~Kansas warns of irreversible economic and ecological damage amounting to millions
of invasive carp species, if approved~~
TOPEKA– Today, Governor Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a bipartisan letter to Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen expressing their objection to Nebraska’s proposed transfer of the Platte Republican inter-basin area.
“The proposed transfer between the Platte and Republican basins would severely damage Kansas’ best fishing and boating destinations,” Said Governor Laura Kelly. “Places like Milford Lake are beloved by thousands of Kansas and Nebraska residents alike. We cannot stand by while our state’s vital natural resources are put at risk.”
The relocation, currently under review by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, would allow invasive carp species to invade the Harlan County Reservoir in Nebraska and the Lovewell and Milford Reservoirs in Kansas. These fish are known to have devastating economic and ecological impacts on river basins across the country, harming native species, sport fisheries, commercial fishing and recreational boating wherever they are introduced.
“As an avid angler, I am one of thousands of Kansas residents who enjoy our world-class fishing lakes and waterways,” Attorney General Kris Kobach said. “I will use every tool available to prevent these invasive species from harming Kansas waters.”
Kansas had previously raised these concerns when Nebraska first considered an identical transfer request in 2018. Since then, the threat of invasive species like silverhead carp invading the Republican River basin has only grown, with recent data showing that invasive populations have spread to within a few feet of the site of the proposed interbasin transfer.
“These species can decimate local fish populations and pose a safety risk to recreational fishermen in affected rivers and lakes,” said Deputy Secretary Christopher Kennedy of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. “Efforts in other states to eradicate these carp populations once they become established are costly and largely unsuccessful, which is why prevention is critical wherever possible.”
In addition to the letter sent to Governor Pillen today, Kansas submitted both written and oral testimony to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources during the public hearing on the transfer on May 23, 2024.
A copy of the joint letter from Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach can be found here.
###
