Asian Carp...
Streaming Video

Curator's note: The video below originally appeared on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" program in August of 2006. Most of the piece was shot on August 22nd and 23rd of 2006 at an international Asian carp symposium held in Peoria. This segment was one of four dealing with the Great Lakes and environmental issues aired by "Chicago Tonight" with funding from the Joyce Foundation.


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From the turbulent (and somewhat turbid) waters of the mighty Illinois River, the Curator of these pages (Rich Samuels) brings you the troubling story of the Asian silver and bighead carp. On WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" program, Rich has specialized in invasive species tales (from the Round Goby to the still little-understood Bloody Red Shrimp).
Rich Samuels on the banks of the Illinois River

Becky Cudmore and a silver carp
Above: Canadian biologist Becky Cudmore holds aloft an Asian silver carp that jumped into the boat. Jumping Asian carp are a common problem in portions of the Illinois river.

Right: Duane Chapman of the U.S. Geological Survey demonstrates how to filet Asian carp. Chapman considers them good eating. Others have suggested they might make better feed for zoo animals.
Duane Chapman filets a silver carp

Orion Briney
Left: Orion Briney stumbles over the catch of the day. Briney fishes silver and bighead carp commercially on the Illinois River. He sells his catch to the Schafer Fisheries of Fulton and Thomson, Illinois, whose principal markets are Asian communities in the U.S.

Right: A frontal view of an Asian bighead carp in the Schafer Firsheries Thomson processing plant. These carp are prized in the Peoples Republic of China as the primary ingredient of fishhead soup.
Asian bighead carp


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Created by Rich Samuels (e-mail to rich@richsamuels.com)