From ‘carp’ to ‘copi’: unpopular fish getting a makeover in the U.S.

You are hungry for fish and your server suggests that you order invasive carp. ‘Ugh,’ you might say. What about broiled copi, fresh off the Mississippi River?

Here’s the catch. They’re exactly the same thing.

Illinois and partner organizations in the U.S. kicked off a market-tested campaign Wednesday to rechristen as “copi” four species previously known collectively as Asian carp, hoping the new label will make them more attractive to U.S. consumers.

Officials hope to curb a decades-old infestation of carp in the Mississippi and other Midwestern river systems, as well the Great Lakes.

“The ‘carp” name is so harsh, people won’t even attempt it,” saidKevin Irons, assistant chief fisheries with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “But it’s clean, healthy, and it tastes pretty darn good.”

The federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds the five-year, $600,000.00 project to rebrand the carps and make them more widely available. More than two dozen processors, retailers, restaurants, and distributors have signed up. While most are located in Illinois and some deliver to other states, or even the entire country, others are located across the country.

“This could be an amazing breakthrough.” saidJohn Goss was the Obama administration’s leader in fighting the carp invasion. He also worked on the renaming of the fish. “The next few years are crucial for building trust and acceptance.”

It has a pleasant, mild taste… it should help fix its reputation.Brian Jupiter, Chicago chef

“copi” was created by Span, a Chicago communications company. It’s an abbreviated wordplay on “copious” — a reference to the booming populations of bighead, silver, grass and black carp in the U.S. heartland.

They were imported from Asia in the 1960s-70s to eat algae from Deep South fish farms and sewage lagoons. They have infested the majority of the river and its tributaries, displacing native species like crappie and bass.

Regulators spent more than $600million to keep them away from the Great Lakes, as well as waters like Lake Barkley on Kentucky/Tennessee. Some strategies include putting electric barriers at choke points, and hiring crews to collect the fish for fertilizer and pet food. Other technologies — underwater noisemakers, air bubble curtains — are in the works.

It would help if there were more people who ate the animals, which are very popular in other countries. Officials estimate up to 22.7 million kilograms could be netted annually in the Illinois River between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan. More are available from the Midwest to Gulf Coast.

Goss. said. “Private-sector, demand-driven by the market for copi could be our greatest hope.”

Copi po’boy? Fish has a mild flavour

In the U.S. and Canada, carp are known primarily as muddy-tasting bottom feeders. The “copi” campaign’s primary targets are silver and bighead carp. These fish live higher in water and eat plankton and algae. Black carp prefer snails and mussels to aquatic plants while grass carp eat aquatic plants. All four fish are high in omega-3 fatty acid and low levels of mercury and other contaminants. Irons said.

“It has an excellent mild flavor…a pleasant surprise that should help to fix its reputation.” saidBrian Jupiter, a Chicago chef, plans to serve a copi po’boy sandwich at Ina Mae Tavern. He said that the fish can be used in many different cuisines, including Latin, Asian, Cajun, and Latin. said.

Jupiter explained that the fish’s notorious boniness makes fillet production difficult. Jupiter suggested that this could make it difficult to sell. He suggests that chopped or ground copi is a good option for some of the most delicious recipes. said.

Dirk and Terry Fucik are the owners of Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop Chicago. saidThey’ve been selling carp burgers since years and now offer carp meatballs as well as tacos and other delicious dishes.

Span researchers considered many names — “butterfin” among them — before settling on “copi,” Irons said. It sounded catchy and exotic, even fun. said.

Span conducted focus group meetings, interviews, and surveys with more than 350 Illinois residents. Design principal Nick Adam was also present. said.

Next step: Apply for approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration. This agency says that fish labels can be “coined, fanciful”, but not misleading or confusing. One example is “slimehead”, which was popularized after its market moniker was changed to “orange roughy”.

Illinois plans to also register the “copi” trademark, which will allow industry groups to develop quality control processes, Irons said.

Other scientific groups and regulatory agencies have their own policies and may not make the switch.

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and American Fisheries Society have a committee which lists fish titles. This includes scientific names in Latin and long-accepted, common names. The panel did not adopt “Asian carp”, as a general term for invasive species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to keep “invasive carp” and the four individual names. Its focus is on controlling and managing their spread. said Charlie Wooley, Midwest director. The Invasive Carp Region Coordinating Committee, which is made up of many federal, provincial, local, and Canadian agencies, will do the same.

Because of concerns about anti-Asian bigotry, they dropped “Asian Carp” last year.