John Fleischer
AP Environment Writer
Traverse City, Michigan (Associated Press)-Senator Foung Hawj of Minnesota never liked the “Asian carp” label. These labels are usually used for four imported fish that cause serious damage and infestation in the hinterland of the United States. Rivers and Great Lakes.
But when an Asian business delegation arrived at Minneapolis Airport, the last straw appeared, with the slogan “Kill the Asian Carp” written on it. This is a request in good faith to prevent the spread of invasive fish. But the news disgusted the visitors.
Hawj and Senator John Hoffman received approval for a measure in 2014 that required Minnesota agencies to refer to the fish as “invasive carp.”
Now, following the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic, other government agencies have taken the same steps. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service quietly changed its name to “Invasive Carp” in April.
He said that the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, which represents agencies that are trying to control carp in the United States and Canada, will do the same on August 2.
The switch to “invading carp” may not be the final decision. As experts and policy makers have learned in their long struggle with prolific and cunning fish, almost nothing is simple. Scientists, technical journals, government agencies, language style guides, restaurants, and grocery stores may have ideas about how to call them based on different motivations—including letting more people eat these critters.
Although this dish is very popular in most parts of the world, it has not been popular with American consumers. For many Americans, “carp” is reminiscent of carp, a bottom breeder known for its “muddy” taste and boney meat.
“In this country, it’s a four-letter word,” said Kevin Irons, assistant director of fisheries at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The four carps collectively referred to as Asian carps-bighead carp, whitebait, grass carp and herring-were brought from China half a century ago to remove algae, weeds and parasites from sewage and aquaculture ponds in the South insect. They fled to the wild and migrated upward along the Mississippi and other major rivers. The Great Lakes and its $7 billion sports fishery are vulnerable.
So far, they are mainly used for bait, pet food and other purposes. Louisiana chef Philippe Parola registered the “silverfin” label for the Asian carp fish cakes he developed around 2009.
Illinois and partner organizations hope that an ongoing high-profile media campaign will achieve greater results. Known as “The Perfect Catch”, it describes Asian carp as “sustainably wild and surprisingly delicious”-rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and low in mercury and other pollutants. The date has not yet been announced.
“We want it to be new and refreshing, and to better represent these fish for consumers,” Irons said.
The rebranding campaign will seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the use of the new name in interstate trade. But even if the FDA agrees and consumers accept it, scientists are another matter.
The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the American Fisheries Association have a committee that lists fish names, including Latin scientific names and common ones that people think of “originally describing the species or including it in field guides or other references” Name, said Larry Page, curator of fish at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Page said the committee has never adopted “Asian carp” as the term for the four invasive species.
So where did it come from? According to a paper in the journal Fisheries, the label began to appear in the scientific literature in the mid-1990s and took root in the early 2000s as people’s concerns about fish increased.
In this article, Song Qian, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Toledo who collaborated with Kokowski, said that carp is an important source of protein in many Asian countries. In his native China, this is a symbol of good luck.
“If you say it is intrusive, bad and needs to be eradicated, even if it is because of poor communication, that’s why you should talk about cultural insensitivity,” Qian said.
He said that mentioning fish alone is the most accurate, and it is sometimes convenient to acknowledge the collective name. The challenge now is to find the right one.
Minnesota legislator Hoji, who immigrated to the United States from Laos as refugee children after the Vietnam War, said that no matter which one persists, he is very happy that the “Asian carp” is about to disappear. He recalled the enthusiastic applause he received at an Asian American meeting after announcing changes in his state. “This is an annoying thing, a small thing, but it can resonate a lot,” he said.
