fund a feasibility study to address the growing problem of Asian carp in the Mississippi RIver and its tributaries.

We feel the Obama administration must protect our river-dwelling wildlife from the invasive Asian Carp species. Fishermen along the river can catch the fish, but it's hard to make a living at it due to high shipping and processing costs. Although they are sold to people overseas, there is not a large local human market for these fish. But what about a non-human market? If we had carp processing plants at strategic points along the river, it would significantly reduce both processing and transportation costs. Properly prepared, the carp could be ground up and used for: fertilizer, fishing chum, dried fish food, and cat food. We could take a chunk out of this species and provide new American jobs at the same time, given the right circumstances. Private industry sometimes needs a little nudge