Minn. lawmakers back bill to fight Asian carp

With Asian carp spreading up the Mississippi River, members of Minnesota's congressional delegation are introducing legislation designed to counter the invasive fish.

The bill comes after news that commercial fishermen caught Asian carp near Winona last week.

It asks the Army Corps of Engineers to consider closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Dam in Minneapolis as one measure to combat the spread of the fish.

The legislation has the backing of Gov. Mark Dayton, Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, and Reps. Tim Walz, Keith Ellison and Erik Paulsen.

Paulsen said if the carp continue to spread, they could threaten the state's economy.

"If we can help at the federal level, we're going to try and do that," Paulsen said.

The legislation also ask officials at the federal level to work more closely with their state counterparts and research new ways to stop the carp's migration.

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