Illinois Top Chefs Looking To Turn Asian Carp From Nuisance Threat to American Delicacy

Some of Illinois’ top chefs are working to change the perception of Asian carp from a low-value nuisance fish that’s difficult to prepare to a culinary treat. 

Broiled Asian carp. Photo courtesy of thepickledtounge.com.

Earlier this month, chef Philippe Parola lead the preparations for a ‘Target Hunger Now!’ dinner event featuring Asian carp. The event was part of a humanitarian effort to raise awareness about hunger, hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Feeding Illinois.

Asian carp is a popular fish in Europe and Asia, but many in the United States consider it a dirty bottom feeder that’s overtaking the Mississippi river system and posing a threat to the Great Lakes.

While it’s true that the Asian carp population has exploded within the river system, it’s a misconception that it’s a bottom feeder. Asian carp actually feeds on zooplankton and algae in the upper water columns of rivers.

“It’s time to change the perception of Asian carp in Illinois and throughout the U.S. I have worked with this fish for many years and can say without a doubt it is delicious and easy to use when prepared properly,” said Parola at the event.

Parola describes it as a “very white, tasty meat that is a cross between scallops and crab” and believes that, “The main reason the fish has not been harvested for consumption in the U.S. is the fact that it is a very bony fish. The floating bone structure of the Asian carp makes it extremely difficult to filet.”

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Threat Realized as Live Capture Shows Asian Carp Have Unimpeded Access To Lake Michigan

Map courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor.

Years of fears that the Asian carp would invade the Great Lakes and start out competing valuable commercial and recreational fish like salmon and perch for food are now beginning to being realized.

Earlier this summer the first live Asian carp - a bighead carp to be exact - was caught between the electric barrier in the Chicago Area Waterway System and Lake Michigan.

This capture proves that live Asian carp have unimpeded access to the lake and validates the accuracy of earlier environmental DNA (from microscopic bits of tissue shed from the fish) that indicated the fish were nearby.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Michigan’s renewed request for a preliminary injunction to close the Chicago-area locks. The renewed motion came in response to the DNA evidence of the carp getting past the O’Brien Lock and into Lake Michigan.

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States Escalate War Over Solution to Prevent Asian Carp from Entering the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes. Courtesy of the University of Michigan.

In the latest attempt to preserve the Great Lakes at all costs, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has filed suit with the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately order the closing of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal’s locks leading into Lake Michigan.

The action is being taken as an aggressive attempt to keep bighead and silver carp, collectively known as Asian carp, out of the lakes. Reaching up to 90 pounds, these fish are filter-feeders.

Everyone - ranging from government officials, ecologists, recreational fishermen, and the commercial fishing industry - are worried that if these fish get into the Great Lakes that they will deplete the zooplankton which is also the main food source for mussels, fish larval, and some adult fish, like salmon and perch.

Bighead carp. Courtesy of The Outdoor Pressroom.

The overall fear is that if these carp enter the lakes that they will compete with species that have high recreational and commercial value, thereby endangering the local fish industry. Scientists at Duke University speculate that these carp escaped from catfish farms in the southern U.S. The carp spread throughout the Mississippi River system in less that a decade, according to the university.

While everyone agrees that the Asian Carp is a threat that must be eliminated, the raging dispute is over what’s the most effective approach that won’t disrupt commerce in the region. The Illinois Attorney General’s office is currently reviewing the lawsuit and withholding comments, but others have plenty to say, both supporting and denouncing the move.

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