Eating our Way to Ecological Conservation? (the Asian Carp)

If you've been paying any attention to the news lately, you've heard of the current panic over the possibility of the invasive Asian Carp infilitrating from the Chicago Shipping Canal into Lake Michigan.

Starting in the Mississippi River, the state of Michigan just sued in federal court to force Illinois to close the canal as a mean to keep the carp out, for fears that once they enter it will completely crash the Great Lakes ecosystem worse than any of invasive in the history the lakes.

Some worry it is simply inevitable. Others are wondering whether perhaps there fight by a culinary means to intervene, at least in part: eat them!

It's unclear that these fast growing and voracious fish are actually that tasty, but chefs are trying to convince us otherwise, at least on a nutritional basis:

"[It has] 70-percent more Omega-3 than in catfish and tilapia," an animated Parola told an assembled crowd at his booth. "No mercury because it's a filter fish."

Parola was talking about the Asian Carp-- a slimy, boney fish that breeds quickly and is widely considered a pest. Parola's message: Eat the carp. Save the Great Lakes."

hmmm... or "mmmm!" (?)

But seriously - this is no doubt one of the most serious ecological challenges to the U.S. currently; the videos below are "must see"


Asian Carp Invasion (Part 1)

Asian Carp Invasion (Part II)

Eating the Asian Carp?

(p.s. among other things, these things are a jumping menace (!) injuring many people every year)

AY