With video: Federal officials to host meeting in Ypsilanti about Asian carp

In recent months, the issue has grown in prominence as officials first discovered the fish were much farther north up the Mississippi River than previously thought. So far, proposals and techniques have included increasing the use of electric shocks to kill the fish in certain areas, netting, using sonar and intermittent lock closures.

Earlier this month, officials from the White House Council on Environmental Quaity announced $78.5 million in funds to spend on preventing the spread of Asian carp.

Wednesday's meeting will be held at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest, 1275 S. Huron, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The event will feature discussions between scientific experts and representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Great lakes states, municipalities and trips, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The meeting will be available on the Internet via live Web stream, and people can also submit questions online through the Web site. A transcript will be posted later on asiancarp.org/regionalcoordination.

Asian carp are an exotic species to North America and are seen as a huge threat to the fishing and shipping in the region because they reproduce quickly and have large appetites, potentially destabilizing the Great Lakes ecosystem. The large fish can also launch themselves out of the water, potentially creating a hazard for fishermen and boaters.