Silverfin Craze: Asian Carp Flying Straight to the Dinner Plate

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

2 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

May 3, 2011

Asian carp flying straight to the dinner plate

They’re good to eat, offer a large meal, and are literally jumping in boats across Arkansas. Although silver carp and bighead carp have the moniker “rough fish,” they can be just as tasty as many other species served at dinner tables across the nation. Best of all, by eating your fill, you’re actually helping keep Arkansas waters healthy.

Silver and bighead carp were imported into the U.S. in the 1970s as a food fish and to control plankton in aquaculture ponds and sewage treatment lagoons. Within 10 years, the carp escaped confinement and spread throughout the Mississippi River Basin and other large rivers. Today, they’re classified as a nuisance in 23 states.

Silver and bighead carp have made quite a spectacle, as they have the peculiar habit of jumping out of the water when startled by boat traffic. Some of these flying fish can weigh more than 40 pounds, and can inflict injuries to boaters and skiers when they collide. In addition to this danger, these fish also feed heavily on the plankton in a lake or river, which is the base of the entire food chain. Left unchecked, they may cause entire fisheries to collapse.

Catching silver and bighead carp is primarily done by snagging below dams and using commercial nets, and there is no limit on how many you can keep. Despite these incentives, commercial anglers have not cashed in on this species because few people have discovered how good they taste. Although they’re a staple in Asian fish markets, the nearest market that sells these carp is in Memphis, Tenn.

The AGFC is hoping to attract a few taste buds to these fish with the help of Chef Philippe Parola (www.chefphilippe.com and www.silverfincraze.com), a French chef who specializes in the fish he calls, “silverfin.”

Catfish-processing facilities throughout the Mississippi River Basin are feeling the sting of high prices associated with rising fuel costs and decreased production. The “silverfin” alternative may just be the answer to this problem.

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