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PBS NewsHour Report: University of Illinois serves invasive Asian carp for dinner

PBS NewsHour Report: University of Illinois serves invasive Asian carp for dinner
February 18, 2019 GLN Editor

‘If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em:’ University of Illinois serves invasive Asian carp for dinner

January 26, 2019 Megan Thompson

This story originally appeared on PBS NewsHour Weekend and is republished here with permission.

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — It’s dinner time on a Tuesday in October at a popular dining hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, its flagship campus. Hungry students line up, swipe their ID cards and swarm the buffets.

At the end of one counter, there’s an impressive display of dishes that look a little different from the typical college fare of tacos and pizza: plates of Silverfin Sliders topped with a fresh vegetable slaw called “chow chow.” Students can also choose smoked Silverfin with green tea on rice or fried Silverfin topped with mixed greens.

It turns out “Silverfin” is another name for Asian carp, an invasive species wreaking havoc in lakes and rivers across the Midwest. And this Silverfin smorgasbord is a part of Illinois’ novel efforts to battle back the fish, which are now within 50 miles from entering Lake Michigan.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em,” says former Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, who helped launch the University of Illinois program. “Asian carp is actually quite delicious.”

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1 Comment

  1. Alta Hamlin 5 years ago

    Money to be made here for commercial fishing.

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