What image comes to mind when you hear the name?
If you are like most fishermen, you think about the common carp, the lowly of the low fish in our area waters.
In fact, my grandpa used to have a recipe for carp. First, take a carp and nail it to a 2 x 4. Then pound the fish with a hammer. Next, throw away the fish and eat the board.
Well, maybe it was more of a joke, but you get the point that carp have never been high on the delicacy list for fish.
For the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, trying to change that stigma for “Asian Carp” has become a potential way to create a new market, and therefore a management tool, for an invasive fish that has become prevalent in our waterways over the past 20 years.
Last week, they announced the new name “Copi” as the commercial product available for consumers.
Changing a fish’s name has been a successful strategy for other fish. Orange roughy was originally called slimehead….