Officials urge locals to catch and eat fish wreaking havoc on critical waterways: 'There is a real concern'

Faced with overwhelming numbers of invasive carp disrupting native species and ecosystems, Arkansas is taking charge of the future with a major solution: getting Americans to eat the invasives.

Since their entry into U.S. waterways in the 1960s and 1970s, invasive carp have surged across the Mississippi River Basin. They outcompete beloved species like bass and catfish for the plankton that young fish need, as the Arkansas Times reported recently. The carp are also threatening native mussels. 

Removing the carp would help to restore ecological balance while supporting local livelihoods.

"The fish have become a real headache for policymakers due to their rapid reproduction rate and voracious diet, which enable them to outcompete the river's native aquatic species," the Times reported.

Now, states across the basin are shifting from "dream[s] of full extermination," per the news outlet, to practical, community-focused strategies. 

The Arkansas project requires a two-fold approach: creating a sustainable commercial fishing industry for carp and creating demand — aka, convincing the public that carp is a delicacy. The new initiatives promise to remove 1.6 million pounds of fish from the Mississippi River.

The invasive carp aren't just a threat to biodiversity, but to a whole way of life. 

"There is a real concern that this valuable biodiversity we have in North America is being challenged by these species," said Southern Illinois State University zoologist Jim Garvey, per the Times.

"They're certainly poised to get into the Great Lakes, which has a huge economic value from a recreational and commercial fishing standpoint." 

The Illinois state government reported that 350,000 pounds of invasive carp were removed from the Illinois River in 2022. Those efforts fostered experience, and the state was able to remove 750,000 in a 10-day span in November and December 2023. In total, 1.7 million pounds of carp were taken out of Illinois waterways in 2023. 

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The Arkansas program is supported by Congressional funds, which have already made a difference elsewhere. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received $31 million in 2024 to tackle the issue of invasive carp, as the Times noted.

Locals have apparently already caught on. At the Forrest City fish market, one fisherman turned carp into "copi" burgers, nachos, and sandwiches, as the Times reported in 2023. 

Just because invasives aren't desirable in certain waterways, that doesn't mean that they can't taste good on a plate.

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