Testing in three southwestern Michigan waterways has turned up no trace of Asian carp that have damaged the environment and economy in other parts of the U.S.
The state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitor primary Great Lakes tributaries for genetic markers left by bighead and silver carp, which out-compete native fish for food.
The DNR says 336 water samples have been taken this year from the Kalamazoo River and Ottawa County's Spring Lake and Lake Macatawa. They were analyzed for Asian carp DNA. None tested positive.
Seth Herbst of the state agency says if positive hits were recorded, officials would step up monitoring efforts and use netting and electrofishing in hopes of catching any Asian carp that might be in the area.
