Literature Review
For a comic strip version of the literature review, click here.
Bighead and silver carp, often referred to collectively as "Asian carp," are widely acknowledged as dangerous and harmful invasive species in the United States. Since escaping from fish farms in the American south in the 1970s, they have expanded throughout much of the Mississippi river basin, and in many places have established huge populations. For example, researchers estimated that in one stretch of the Illinois River, there were approximately 2544 silver carp per river mile (Sass et al.). In the same area, silver carp alone outnumbered all other fish in the annual Long Term Resource Monitoring Program catch (Sass et al.). Not only are Asian carp highly abundant in many areas, but as of 2014 are still colonizing and overrunning new areas (Hayer et al.).
Asian carp are highly specialized filter feeders, and the plankton they consume are the base of aquatic food chains. They have been shown to compete directly with essential native forage fish like the gizzard shad (Chick), but they are too large to serve as forage themselves. Thus, Asian carp, which as plankton feeder cannot be taken on a hook for sport, take away the food that native sport fish depend on (Illinois Department of Natural Resources et al.). In addition to damaging sport fishing industries, silver carp pose a threat of injury to recreational boaters, since they jump high out of the water when startled (Conover et al.). Asian carp are seen as such harmful species that the US Army Corps of Engineers has constructed electric and physical barriers to ensure that they do not enter the Great Lakes.
Many methods of controlling Asian carp populations have been suggested. A plan for their reduction written in 2007 was particularly exhaustive, and suggested everything from introducing carp-killing diseases, parasites, or predators, to releasing carp with compromised genes in order to damage their reproductive success, to simply poisoning the water (Conover et al.). Another plan, written in 2014, focused more on contracting commercial fishermen to harvest fish that were particularly close to possible entrances to Lake Michigan, in order to keep them from establishing populations in the Great Lakes. It does not seem to have any ambition of reducing most of their established populations (Illinois Department of Natural Resources et al.). One other study investigates the possibility of establishing a commercial market for Asian carp as a raw material for fish feed, though it admits that something would need to be done to increase its shelf life.
One suggested avenue for carp control, though, is of particular interest to me. Both the 2007 and 2014 plans mentioned in the previous paragraph also suggest that if Asian carp could be successfully marketed as a food fish in the United States, commercial fishermen would have the incentive to catch them and reduce their populations. Another paper, from 2012, focuses exclusively on reducing Asian carp through commercial harvest, persuasively citing populations of carp that have been decimated by overfishing in their native range, where they are popular food fish (Garvey et. al.). Furthermore, a study of levels of contaminants like mercury in Asian carp suggests that they are perfectly safe to eat in reasonable amounts (Rogowski et al.). However, each of these papers seems to operate under the assumption that Americans do not consider Asian carp an acceptable food fish, and as of now are unwilling to buy them. It certainly seems that nobody is comfortable trying to sell Asian carp, since they are impossible to find in stores or even for sale on the internet.
In my research, I aim to find out if Americans really are decidedly opposed to buying Asian carp for consumption, or whether they could be fairly easily persuaded to do so. I plan to show my test subjects a brief presentation on the ill effects and good taste of Asian carp, then ask them whether they would be willing to try them. If most of my subjects respond affirmatively, then the suggestion will be that a few TV commercials would probably be enough to make Asian carp salable in the United States. If they overwhelmingly respond negatively, then the suggestion will be that it is best to focus on other methods of reducing their population.
This site was created by Joey Benevento in Emory University's Domain of One's Own Program as part of an English 212W class with Professor Marc Bousquet.
Asian carp are highly specialized filter feeders, and the plankton they consume are the base of aquatic food chains. They have been shown to compete directly with essential native forage fish like the gizzard shad (Chick), but they are too large to serve as forage themselves. Thus, Asian carp, which as plankton feeder cannot be taken on a hook for sport, take away the food that native sport fish depend on (Illinois Department of Natural Resources et al.). In addition to damaging sport fishing industries, silver carp pose a threat of injury to recreational boaters, since they jump high out of the water when startled (Conover et al.). Asian carp are seen as such harmful species that the US Army Corps of Engineers has constructed electric and physical barriers to ensure that they do not enter the Great Lakes.
Many methods of controlling Asian carp populations have been suggested. A plan for their reduction written in 2007 was particularly exhaustive, and suggested everything from introducing carp-killing diseases, parasites, or predators, to releasing carp with compromised genes in order to damage their reproductive success, to simply poisoning the water (Conover et al.). Another plan, written in 2014, focused more on contracting commercial fishermen to harvest fish that were particularly close to possible entrances to Lake Michigan, in order to keep them from establishing populations in the Great Lakes. It does not seem to have any ambition of reducing most of their established populations (Illinois Department of Natural Resources et al.). One other study investigates the possibility of establishing a commercial market for Asian carp as a raw material for fish feed, though it admits that something would need to be done to increase its shelf life.
One suggested avenue for carp control, though, is of particular interest to me. Both the 2007 and 2014 plans mentioned in the previous paragraph also suggest that if Asian carp could be successfully marketed as a food fish in the United States, commercial fishermen would have the incentive to catch them and reduce their populations. Another paper, from 2012, focuses exclusively on reducing Asian carp through commercial harvest, persuasively citing populations of carp that have been decimated by overfishing in their native range, where they are popular food fish (Garvey et. al.). Furthermore, a study of levels of contaminants like mercury in Asian carp suggests that they are perfectly safe to eat in reasonable amounts (Rogowski et al.). However, each of these papers seems to operate under the assumption that Americans do not consider Asian carp an acceptable food fish, and as of now are unwilling to buy them. It certainly seems that nobody is comfortable trying to sell Asian carp, since they are impossible to find in stores or even for sale on the internet.
In my research, I aim to find out if Americans really are decidedly opposed to buying Asian carp for consumption, or whether they could be fairly easily persuaded to do so. I plan to show my test subjects a brief presentation on the ill effects and good taste of Asian carp, then ask them whether they would be willing to try them. If most of my subjects respond affirmatively, then the suggestion will be that a few TV commercials would probably be enough to make Asian carp salable in the United States. If they overwhelmingly respond negatively, then the suggestion will be that it is best to focus on other methods of reducing their population.
This site was created by Joey Benevento in Emory University's Domain of One's Own Program as part of an English 212W class with Professor Marc Bousquet.