Illinois’ Solution to Asian Carp Invasion: Eat Them
The Asian carp, a species of fish brought from China to the U.S. several decades ago, is a growing concern in the midwest state of Illinois. The number of Asian carp in the state's waterways has soared in recent years, choking out many native fish species. But state officials hope to solve the problem, and also strike a blow against local hunger, by changing public attitudes about the much-maligned fish.
Asian carp found in the Illinois River are large, much too plentiful. Louisiana chef Philippe Parola and fellow chef Tim Creehan are teaming up with Illinois state officials in a campaign to whet (刺激) the public's appetite for the Asian carp. They've got to show people that this fish tastes good.
Asian carp is widely consumed in China, but most fish-eaters in the United States avoid it because they confuse it with native carp. These fish are bottom-feeders that many people believe are contaminated by toxic pollutants, including mercury. But Asian carp, which are not really carp at all, feed on plankton and algae near the surface of rivers and lakes. That is why they're often seen jumping out of the water.
Another reason many Americans avoid eating Asian carp is that it is bony, difficult to fillet and hard to sell in fresh fish markets. But Chef Creehan says when the fish is cooked, the bones come out easily, enabling food processors to package it as a ready-to-serve product.
Travis Loyd hopes greater interest in Asian carp as a food product will cause it to be more heavily fished out of lakes and streams. He says that would not only reduce pressure on native fish species and the fragile Great Lakes ecosystem, but would also provide an economic boost at a time when unemployment in Illinois is high.
It could take some time before consumers see Asian carp on the menu in restaurants or in grocery store freezers.