Patterico's Pontifications

7/19/2010

Asian Carp Lawsuits

Filed under: Law — DRJ @ 11:49 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

Following up on an earlier post, five Great Lakes states are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago Water Reclamation District to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan.

I’m sure this is a big story in the Midwest. Like offshore drilling in the Gulf, it inflames passion and pits big money business interests against big money leisure interests.

— DRJ

21 Responses to “Asian Carp Lawsuits”

  1. Asian Carp are a delicacy in China and could actually be a good item to sell. It is interesting that something we regard as a pest can be sold and bring in money.

    CHICAGO — In a deal intended to help keep the invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, a Chinese meat packing company will buy fish taken from Illinois rivers to send to China where it is a delicacy.

    Big River Fisheries in Pearl, Ill., will catch, process and ship at least 30 million pounds of fish by the end of next year and sell it to Beijing Zhuochen Animal Husbandry Company, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced Tuesday.

    “The high quality and taste of the wild Asian carp from Big River Fish far exceeded our expectations. We see a tremendous market in China for the wild Asian carp,” said Liang Chang, chairman of the Chinese purchaser, in a statement.

    Sabba Hillel (dd522e)

  2. Rabbit tastes pretty good too, but it kinda messed up Australia.

    Oil can be sold profitably, but perhaps shouldn’t be poured all over the marshes of the Bayou.

    I hope, Sabba, that they do manage to make some money from stopping the flow of these fish, but I don’t expect such an expert and careful managing of this situation to occur. Call me crazy.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  3. yes… my Chicago friend says this is all about stealing Illinois shipping business

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  4. the infestation of the carp is already well past inevitable… but there’s still *just enough* time to steal the shipping business

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  5. Toss in a few dozen Northern Pike. Problem solved!

    Frank Drebbin (8096f2)

  6. Maybe someone can teach the carp to eat the alewives, if they are still around. That was the previous end-of-the-world crisis in Great Lakes fishing.

    Mike K (0ef8c3)

  7. use secret weapon
    to stare down Asian carp
    the CarpCzar Rahm eyes

    ColonelHaiku (26e9b5)

  8. Asian carp are a big deal in Michigan, but news that the federal government refuses to lift a finger to do anything to help our state, isn’t big at all.

    Nathan (22922c)

  9. Why is it okay to discriminate against Asian carps?

    JD (b812d8)

  10. Carp of Asian
    descent known by trout to be
    most inscrutable

    ColonelHaiku (26e9b5)

  11. I saw a segment on River Monsters about the carps that are Asian. They were leaping out of the water smacking into people on boats. It made me laugh, but they were not hitting me.

    JD (b812d8)

  12. A significant amount of business is generated around Lake Michigan and Lake Erie related to sport fishing. Michigan took a big hit years ago when the lamprey destroyed the Lake Trout populations, then Coho and Chinook Salmon were introduced that helped make things turn around. Lake Erie rebounded from being a toxic cesspool with feeding rivers that were fire hazards to being a world renowned spot for walleye fishing.

    One would think the environmental folks would be going nuts over the possibile destruction of native fish populations in the Great Lakes, but I guess that would put them at odds with Obama who has his shipping friends in Chicago.

    Those fish can get up to 80 pounds or more. If someone gets hit and injured by a 50 lb jumping fish can they sue somebody for neglecting their environmental stewardship?

    If they would secure the border first, maybe illegal immigrants could earn amnesty by catching illegal immigrant fish and sending them to China.

    I repeat my suggestion to stock the Chicago River area with Tiger Muskies, but I’m not sure that will be enough.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  13. Or Northern Pikes.

    JD (b812d8)

  14. “i don’t have full video yet. but will release whole thing. how’s that?”

    From his Twitter.

    Have I mentioned that I can’t stand Twitter?

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  15. Well, I am appalled!

    “…five Great Lakes states are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago Water Reclamation District to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan…”

    This is simply fish-racism pure and simple.

    What next? Special ponds for African-American Carp?

    Let the diversity swim free, you fascists! Equal rights for Carp!

    Support the Rainbow (Trout) coalition!

    Anon 1:50 (a999cd)

  16. I’m not an expert on fish by any means, but having caught both Muskie and Pike, I don’t think either of these species would have a chance against those carp. Furthermore, they have no history of going up against those monsters; my father – in – law fished regularly on the Illinois river, but gave up a few years ago because of the inherent dangers of getting knocked out by one of those flying missiles.

    Dmac (d61c0d)

  17. Saba Hillel: “Asian Carp are a delicacy in China…”

    Good for them. But there was an effort toward finding a market for them in Chicago. Asian carp from the Illinois River were provided to a group of Chicago’s top chefs.

    Unfortunately, they found the fish barely usable, due to the thick distribution of fine bones through the flesh

    Several of the chefs gave up; none were able to get more than a few pounds of usable fillet from a 40-pound fish.

    Rich Rostrom (42578d)

  18. Rich Rostrum – There is a similar problem with shad (which are related to carp I believe). The fish have many, many tiny bones which have to be removed by hand. The process is labor intensive and proficiency is a matter of practice. Unfortunately a lot of the people who do it in the north east have either passed on or stopped doing it.

    There was an outfit that caught, processed and sold shad fillets during the season here in my town. They stopped doing business about ten years ago.

    Have Blue (854a6e)

  19. Hell, they complained about the Irish Carp a hundred years ago.

    ukuleledave (4e6cbb)

  20. Is this all furore about human consumption of local species. what is asian carp came there. the human worries more what fishes are now absentS in their plate. SELFISH!!

    amit chandola (7e28b3)

  21. Don’t pretend as if you are saving species…u are more worried about jobs and businesses. ‘masquerading’ as nature lovers…

    amit chandola (7e28b3)


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