The Headlines
Eating Asian carp urged
- The Advertiser, LA
Take that carp and fry it
- Chicago Tribune, IL
Asian carp getting an appetizing image
- Daily Comet, LA
From the archives: Carpe diet: How to serve carp
- Chicago Tribune, IL
New Decade, A New Future for the Great Lakes?
-Buffalo Rising, NY
If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em? Not if it's Asian carp
- Commercial Appeal, TN
State to create demand for Asian carp
-News Star, LA
Something's fishy
- Muskegon Chronicle, MI
Better take seriously the damage Asian carp can do
- SouthBend Tribune, IN
President misses the boat on Asian carp danger
- Toledo Blade, OH
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Asian Carp - The Issue
The US government estimates the economic losses and the cost of fighting invasive
species at about $135 billion (U.S.) annually. Enter the Asian Carp. Since the beginning of the century,
millions of taxpayers dollars have been spent to manage their spread and stop their inexorable
march up the Mississippi towards the Great Lakes. To no avail. They’re sitting at the door right now. No amount
of R&D, monitoring, ‘barriering’ or ‘pisticiding’ has done the trick. See Water Chronicles Report
Today,
while Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York, Ohio, Minnesota and Ontario join arms in suing Illinois to close the Chicago Canal
and save the $7 billion Great Lakes' fishing and pleasure boating industries, barge operators along the Mississippi River are clamouring that such a move threatens their own $20 billion a year livelihood. Not to mention Chicago's sewage system.
Enter the Supreme Court and the White House, decisions are postponed, lawyers get rich. Millions more
are spent. Everybody is ripping mad. See Related Stories
Meanwhile the dreaded carp could very slip into the Great Lakes through the
nearby Des Plaines River, should it happen the flood into the Chicago Canal as it
is wont to do.
Let's face it, We can't stop 'em. Let's eat them.
World water resources are dwindling threatening food crops; cod, salmon and smelt reserves are disappearing. Cattle and poultry farms are gobbling up and fouling our waterways and the world is running out of food.
Let us eat carp.
In fact, let's eat lots of carp and call them 'silverfin' says the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
But wait, apparently it's not that easy. Seems, as a species, we're hardwired against change.
Steve Shults, Illinois Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager, says that in spite of their many efforts to identify possible markets in Asia and Africa and build Asian Carp into a sustainable commercial fishing industry, low-demand still does not match the high costs of market development. According to Shults, even diversifying markets for carp, - developing high-protein compounds, liquid fertilizers, compost and protein extraction for pharmaceuticals - has had few takers so far. And while a few fishing companies such as Schafer Fisheries and Big River Fish have started processing Asian Carp, large scale projects are hindered by the need for up-front capitalization and the lack of venture capital.
Yet according to those who eat it, Asian carp is very good. They do have lots of bones but surely we can adapt. Plus, Asian carp are a good source of Omega 3 oil.
All it takes is a small leap of faith on our parts. We can do it. Let's take on the Big River Carp Connaisseur Challenge* and develop tasty carp dishes. Anyone for Asian carp au beurre noir?
* NOTE: Actually, the Big River Challenge is officially open only to restaurants along the Mississippi from Coon Rapids, Minn., to Muscatine, Iowa.
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How to
Filleting Asian Carp - YouTube
Carp aux Raisins
Cut a medium-sized (5-pound) carp into 1-inchthick
steaks, and saute with 1 chopped onion and 3
chopped shallots in 1/2 cup of oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle
steaks with 6 tablespoons flour. Almost cover the fish with 2
cups white wine and fish stock (or water). Season with salt and
a touch of cayenne. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves. Sprinkle with a
few tablespoons of oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and
simmer slowly for 20 minutes.
Drain the carp steaks and set them on a dish, reforming the
shape of the carp.
Over high heat, reduce the liquid by two-thirds, remove from the
heat, and beat in 3/4 cup oil. Add 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, 2
tablespoons wine vinegar, 1/3 cup seeded raisins, and 1/3 cup
currants and sultanas (mixed) which have been allowed to swell
in lukewarm water and drained. Pour over the carp, sprinkle with
chopped parsley, and serve at once.
More recipes
'Stop Carping and Start Cooking' - Big River Magazine
The Big River Challenge
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