You can now buy Phil Bredesen ‘Cut the Carp’ baseball caps

U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen is apparently the only candidate for statewide office this year to make a campaign issue out of the Asian carp invasion of Tennessee lakes and rivers. Now he’s using it as a fundraising device (gimmick?), offering baseball caps bearing the slogan ‘Phil Bredesen, U.S. Senate, Cut the Carp’ or ‘Phil Bredesen Against Asian Carp’  at $25 each.

Press release from the Bredesen campaign

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As Governor Phil Bredesen continues traveling throughout the state and learning about the local issues that are important to Tennesseans, he has heard a lot about Asian Carp, particularly in West Tennessee. This incredibly invasive species is not only wreaking havoc on native fish in West Tennessee by out-competing them for food and space, but it is also negatively impacting tourism and economic development in the state.

Today, the Bredesen for Senate Campaign is debuting several new items on its webstore that highlight Governor Bredesen’s commitment to addressing this issue and the growing threat that it poses to Tennessee.

“Asian carp are not the biggest problem our country faces, but the problem is real and has a large impact on local sportsmen and local economies here in Tennessee,” said Governor Bredesen. “As I’ve heard loud and clear several times during my many visits to West Tennessee, people are complaining that no one in government seems to be very interested in doing anything about this issue. I’d like to help.”

Inspired by local anglers, the web store now features hats and t-shirts that illustrate Governor Bredesen’s position on an issue that doesn’t grab national headlines, but is having an outsized negative impact on rural communities across the state.  In late May, nearly 400 West Tennesseans gathered to discuss the threat posed by Asian Carp with officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Background:

Governor Phil Bredesen is the only candidate who has proposed solutions to help fix this problem, including:

Increasing the commercial harvest of Asian Carp

The physical removal of Asian Carp by wildlife management

Releasing sterile Asian Carp to reduce the reproductive success of the species

Note: The Jackson Sun carried a report on the referenced carp meeting. It’s HERE. A previous post on Bredesen and carp HERE. And, if so inclined, the link for buying Bredesen caps, t-shirts and coffee mugs is HERE.