Concern as invasive fish species takes over Illinois waters

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently released a report that showed that invasive species of fish had cost the country trillions of dollars over the past 60 years.

The US Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center said species like the green crab and copi, also known as Asian carp, in the Mississippi River had the potential to push out local species, affecting local commercial fishery operations.

The centre was forced to look at ways to harvest the species to resolve the problem, but needed to get consumers on board. In 2022, the Illinois government officially changed the name of the Asian carp to copi in an attempt to make the fish more popular among consumers.

A large number of copi could be harvested from the Illinois River each year, but it was difficult to obtain a typical fish fillet from the species as it was bony.

The government said convincing consumers to make invasive species a part of their diet might be extremely difficult, and they were advising markets to look at other ways to use the species.

The World Wildlife Fund’s Markets Institute said it had been researching possibilities for connecting with fishers and pet food companies to create sustainable pet food for dogs from copi. It added there were a few companies in the US that were using copi to feed certain animal groups, but some groups said that it could be dangerous to create large new markets for invasive species.

The institute said it was looking at complaints and analysing information, but did not want to create a scenario where people were raising the fish themselves in an effort to harvest the product as pet food. –

US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Asian carp, renamed copi in the US, jump in Illinois waters as authorities shock and remove the invasive species to prevent them from reaching Lake Michigan.