Okay.
Let me start with Asian carp. We've talked about that previously with this committee. As you know, a couple of budgets ago we received $17.5 million, over five years, for an Asian carp program. We were able to speak in previous iterations to the objectives of the program, but now we can speak a little bit to some of the actual achievements.
The minister opened an Asian carp lab in Burlington to implement key science activities for the programs, and we have refurbished a genetics lab in Winnipeg to analyze DNA samples. Those labs are now in place for Asian carp. We've also moved ahead with further risk assessments. It was largely based on the first risk assessment that the new program was developed—a risk assessment around bighead and silver carps—but we've now moved ahead with risk assessments on grass carps and black carps. We have further developed a socio-economic impact assessment with respect to the challenge if these actually enter into the Great Lakes.
We've developed relationships with groups that are involved in prevention. I'd note in particular the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, who are working with us and getting word out about the challenges and the risks around Asian carp. There are a number of elements in that regard.
We have an agreement now with the Invasive Species Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. They're developing an Asian carp website, developing Facebook, Twitter accounts, etc. Again, it's getting the word out, and increasing the digital footprint of awareness around Asian carp. We're doing research into control techniques, different ways that we can address Asian carp—keeping them out and what we do if and when they actually get in. We are collecting data in various parts around the Great Lakes.
We've established 34 early detection sites, in Lakes Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Superior. We've actually caught, fortunately or unfortunately, one grass carp last year and one grass carp this year, in Canadian waters. They turned out to be triploid, which means that they're aquaculture and not able to reproduce.
We're really pleased to announce that whereas it used to take three to four days—so you'd catch these things, the world would hold its breath while we were finding out about it—our new lab in Burlington is able to do the assessment in two hours. We have the facility to be able to do it now. We've been able to stand down in terms of whether we had to do “a rapid response”, so it really is working.
I'll stop there.