Supreme Court turns down Michigan’s plea to get involved in battle over Asian carp

Court stays out of Asian carp dispute

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has decided not to get involved in a dispute over how to prevent Asian carp from making their way into the Great Lakes.

The justices on Monday turned down a new request from Michigan to consider ordering permanent closure of Chicago-area shipping locks to prevent the invasive fish from threatening the Great Lakes.

The court had previously declined to order the locks closed on an emergency basis while it considered whether to hear the case. Michigan has led the legal fight to close the locks, arguing that the ravenous carp, weighing up to 100 pounds, could decimate the lakes’ $7 billion fishing industry by starving out competitors such as salmon and walleye.