Ron Brooks, Fisheries Division Director for the Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said that commercial fishermen participated in a two-day tournament at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park to see who can catch the most Asian Carp - a fish that's become annoyingly numerous in recent years.
A free sampling of the fish was also held at the Harbor Lights Dining Room in the Lodge, with Asian Carp prepared by celebrity Chef Philippe Parola. He also be demonstrated how to prepare the fish, which some cultures consider a delicacy. Many Americans associate the fish with the common carp, which most people don't enjoy eating.
Bristol Broadcasting employee Mark Edwards attended the tasting tonight. "I'm shocked at how delicious the Silverfin (Asian carp) really is" said Mark. "The meat is very tender, very white and there's not much of a fishy smell."
Celebrity Chef Philippe Parola served samples of fried fish and a special fish ball he prepared exclusively for the sampling tonight. "I know how much the people of Kentucky like cheese so I decided to incorporate a delicious mild cheddar and chopped onion into the fish ball" Chef Philippe described his delicate Asian carp appetizers to be appropriate for any crowd regardless of their status.
Harbor Lights restaurant also served a complimentary salad bar to anyone who was brave enough to try Chef Philippe's tasty creations.
Park Manager Scot Ratzlaf said, "It's about time something good came from these pesky fish, and we are thrilled to be leading the way in western Kentucky."
Asian Carp were originally brought to the United States to eat algae in aquaculture ponds and waste-water treatment plants, but escaped and have spread rapidly. They are known for their tendency to jump out of the water, sometimes landing in boats that have startled them. At up to 70 pounds each, people have reported being knocked out of boats or off jet skis.
The fish are rapidly becoming a nuisance on western Kentucky lakes, and are threatening to migrate upstream on the Ohio River. They reproduce much quicker than other native species, and compete for the same food. Agencies from multiple states have been trying to find ways to keep them from weeding out other fish.
One way to do that is by catching them and using them for food. Many commercial fishermen have considered Asian Carp a nuisance, clogging their nets with nowhere to take them. But now, the market may open up with two area operations bringing revenue in and making a dent in the fish population.
Chef Philippe is trying very hard to create an additional processing plant to sell fish products to people in the United States. He says education is key to win people over. Carp in general has a bad reputation but Chef Philippe is very eager to change the opinion of the naysayers. He explains that more processing plants will create new well paying jobs, will decrease the Asian carp population and provide delicious fish products made with the Silverfin branded fish. "It's a win-win-win situation for everyone" says Chef Philippe Parola.
An Asian Carp processing plant in Livingston County has been sending about 80,000 pounds to Illinois each week for processing. They will soon be joined by another in mid-May - Two Rivers Fisheries in Wickliffe. They plan to flash-freeze and vacuum pack fish for export to China, where a market exists for it.
"I think it's a good step in the right direction, let's put it that way. The one that's going to come on in Wickliffe will be exporting anywhere from 40,000 - 80,0000 pounds of Asian Carp a day. That's very significant, there's so many Asian Carp in these lakes and rivers."
He says the only way to thin the population is with commercial fishing. Brooks said with the second plant opening soon, the demand will be there for fishermen.
"Once they start getting paid, the commercial fishermen will start fishing these to the point to where we can control them. Obviously, we're never going to eradicate them, but we can at least control them so we're certain they're not gonna hurt our sport fish and non-sport fish population," Brooks said.
Another option for processing the fish is to grind them into fish-meal, which can be used for pet food and fertilizer. So far, Kentucky doesn't have any processing plants for this purpose.
Here is Associated Press video of the tournament:
