Blackburn Bonks Asian Carp Question — but the Trash Fish Is a Real Problem

Phil Bredesen tried to tell y'all: Asian carp suck.

The vest-wearing king of charisma had cool hats and thoughtful editorials and meetings and everything during his candidacy for United States Senate in 2018. It seemed, early on at least, like a fairly substantial part of his campaign strategy, particularly in rural Middle and West Tennessee, where river- and lake-adjacent communities count on spending from boaters and fishermen. From a conservation standpoint, Asian carp are bad news, choking out native fish species with their voracious appetites and hockey-stick population growth. There's also evidence the fish lower water quality, harming sensitive species like mollusks.

Unlike many other invasive species, these e-scooters of the waterways present actual physical danger to humans too: Stimulated by the vibrations and noise from boat motors, they have the bad habit of flying en masse from the rivers (one of the more efficient means of catching the fish is literally holding a net in the air while motoring through a river).

Anyway, the TWRA wants you to fish 'em and, shock of shocks, they are pretty tasty to boot, because they are clean eaters and low in mercury.

All this to say, Asian carp, which have taken over rivers in the upper Midwest already and have made plenty of headway in Tennessee, are a problem, and we need a comprehensive strategy to combat them. It should have been part of the conversation during the U.S. Senate campaign, and it should be part of the conversation in every statewide campaign.

Sadly, it never came up in any of the debates, and while Bredesen laid out his plan and thoughts and feelings and merch on the issue, we never got a good answer from his Republican opponent, ultimate victor Marsha Blackburn. That is, perhaps, why a constituent from Buchanan — a wide place in the road in Henry County near Paris Landing State Park — sent this note to her office in February:

I would like for you to become involved with our war/issues with Asian carp that threatens our Tennessee waters across the State. Our economics are threatened including tourism, real estate values and local businesses. There needs to be more Federal funding to assist TWRA in their efforts to control the Asian carp. While you were in Congress the Great Lakes Coalition received millions and millions of dollars while we here in the Lower Mississippi River Basin received little to nothing at all even though TWRA Representatives went to Washington each year soliciting Asian carp funding. There has been recent movement by Senator McConnell to initiate a plan that will assist Ky and TN in our efforts to control Asian carp in our waters. I hope you would sign on to his efforts to increase Federal funding in our War on Asian carp. I’m 80 years old and have fished and enjoyed Ky Lake since the 40’s. I hope I live long enough to see the Asian carp controlled or eradicated so others can enjoy our Tennessee waters as much as I have.  

Three months later, the considerate conservationist and lifelong sportsman received a response from the senator's office that, well ...

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the humane treatment of animals. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your views.

Animals play important roles in our daily lives. Many Tennesseans enjoy the companionship animals provide as pets. Additionally, whether it is for sport, agriculture, or providing critical research for things like medicine, we interact with animals in many ways.  

I agree it is imperative we treat animals with humanity and respect. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts close at hand should the full Senate consider legislation regarding the treatment of animals this year.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. If you would like regular updates on my work for Tennessee, please sign up for my monthly newsletter or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Now, look, senators probably receive hundreds of letters and emails per week, and it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of them receive canned responses (also, did you know politicians don't always write their own speeches and sometimes use TelePrompTers? It's true!). That said, it seems important that the canned response actually match the content of the inquiry, and it seems even more important that a senator from a state facing down this very real problem have an actual answer to the question.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor misstep for Blackburn. And politically, it's not a big deal at all. People make mistakes, even senators (and, let's be honest, their staffers), and muffing a softball like this isn't going to change the world or her political fortunes. But more broadly, it speaks to a larger problem. Tennessee's a big state — Memphis to Mountain City and Dyersburg to Ducktown — and just because people (and media) in the Big Four cities don't perceive something as an issue doesn't make it not a problem, and just because The Tennessean or the Commercial Appeal aren't going to make a fuss about it doesn't mean there isn't a fuss to be made. 

The Scene did reach out to Blackburn's office for clarification on the senator's position on the carp. We received this response:

Senator Blackburn knows that Asian carp present a problem for anglers and boaters along the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. Last July, a representative from her team in the House of Representatives attended Congressman Comer’s Field Hearing in Eddyville, Kentucky to hear concerns of those directly affected by the problem. Senator Blackburn will continue to work with stakeholders, as well as with fellow members of Congress from the region, to control any further spread of the invasive species.