Angling for carp solution

Toledo Blade: Your bright idea to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes could be worth $1 million.

The state of Michigan has challenged scientists, inventors and innovators of all kinds to pitch their ideas for stopping the Asian carp from reaching the lakes.

The stakes are huge. Michigan’s $38 billion tourism industry relies heavily on lakes, and across the region, the Great Lakes fishing industry is a $7 billion enterprise.

If the carp – which have been spotted within 45 miles of Lake Michigan – make the leap from the Mississippi River watershed system into the lakes, the prolific breeders and voracious eaters will push out native species and wreck the ecosystem.

Cooperatives of local, state, federal and Canadian government officials are working to address the threat, but so far have not been able to agree on one strategy, much less fund it adequately.

Michigan’s million-dollar bet here is that a solution may be just one contest entry away. Maybe an angler, amateur inventor, or obscure university professor has the perfect suggestion for eradicating the carp menace.

The challenge is a great example of rare creative government thinking. It really risks nothing, but it could yield one or more great ideas that address an expensive threat. A million dollars would be a small price to pay for a workable solution.