Fishermen from southwestern Ontario are warning that if measures are not taken to stop the spread of Asian carp, there will be a negative effect on tourism for the province.

Jake VanRooyan, with Bluewater Anglers, said that several years ago, Chinook salmon were almost wiped out in Lake Huron due to a similar invasion.

"We used to see anywhere from 10 to 12 charter boats operating out of every port from Port Huron north to Rogers City," he said. "They're gone. Salmon went, those boats went, those villages are suffering about a million dollars a year in tourist impact."

Bluewater Anglers is a group of fishermen who are working to preserve fish stocks in the lower Lake Huron.

Although the Asian Carp have not moved into the Sarnia-Lambton area yet, the invasive species has advanced up the Mississippi River and is now heading toward the Great Lakes.

VanRooyen hopes that American sport fishers will win a court case to plug a shipping channel near Chicago, which he says is the best way to prevent the spread of Asian Carp.

A number of actions are being taken to combat the spread of the carp.

In October 2010, then fisheries minister Gail Shea announced $415,000 for an 18-month, bi-national program that will assess the risks the carp pose. The study will also aim to figure out how to shut down pathways the fish — currently being held at bay near Chicago — could use to enter the Great Lakes.

The carp have infested parts of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, wiping out other fish populations.