No bones about it: New video lays out easy steps for filleting tasty Asian carp

Posted May 20th, 2010 in Aquatic Invasive Species, News, Recreation & Tourism, Video
fish fillets

In the ongoing effort to prevent the invasive Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes, one solution keeps popping up: “If you can’t beat them, eat them.” For boaters in the Midwest, this is good news.

“These fish taste great,” said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) aquatic invasives specialist, about Asian carp. Chicago Tribune food critic Phil Vettel echoed this sentiment in a recent review. “I could eat this everyday,” Vettel said of the Asian carp dish offered at a local Chicago restaurant.

In the 27-minute video, U.S. Geological Survey fish biologist Duane Chapman tackles the bones in Asian carp fillets, which make them difficult to eat. He shows step-by-step procedures for deboning the fish, as well as how to remove the bones after they are cut and cooked.

Most people are not aware of the high quality of meat in Asian carp, which Chapman refers to as the hamburger of Asia. According to Charlebois, boaters and anglers often associate Asian carp with common carp, a bottom-feeding fish, and are reluctant to catch and eat them. Rather, Asian carp—a collective term for numerous species, such as bighead and silver carp—feed on microscopic plants and animals that live in the water column so they have much higher quality meat.

Anglers who catch and eat Asian carp will be helping to rid the waters of these invasive species, which disrupt ecosystems and harm native fish populations. “We want people to reduce the number of Asian carp in our waters, and thus reduce their impact on the environment,” Charlebois said. “One way to do that is to encourage anglers to eat the fish.”

Although anglers are encouraged to catch and eat the fish downstream of the electric barrier installed in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, any Asian carp caught in Chicago area waters should be, if possible, frozen in a sealed plastic bag and reported to IISG (847-242-6440), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (618-435-8138 x123), or the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (317-234-3883).

Knowing whether Asian carp are in those waters will be useful in the ongoing debate about the measures necessary to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan.

The video, produced by the Louisiana State University AgCenter, can be seen in three parts on YouTube.

IISG Instagram

Some partnerships just make sense. Happy Valentine’s Day from IISG! 💕

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Some partnerships just make sense. Happy Valentine’s Day from IISG! 💕

This February marks a major milestone: 30 years of aquatic invasive species outreach by our team! To celebrate, IISG Director, Stuart Carlton, and Strategic Communication Coordinator, Renie Miles, sat down for a Sea Grant Chat with two key figures in IISG’s AIS history: Pat Charlebois, our assistant director and program leader, who spent over two decades leading our prevention efforts, and Katie O’Reilly, who took over that role in 2022. We discussed the evolution of the invasive species issue in the Great Lakes, the shift toward understanding human behavior, and the creative strategies that make this team so effective.

Dive into the full interview at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18053780390453750
This February marks a major milestone: 30 years of aquatic invasive species outreach by our team! To celebrate, IISG Director, Stuart Carlton, and Strategic Communication Coordinator, Renie Miles, sat down for a Sea Grant Chat with two key figures in IISG’s AIS history: Pat Charlebois, our assistant director and program leader, who spent over two decades leading our prevention efforts, and Katie O’Reilly, who took over that role in 2022. We discussed the evolution of the invasive species issue in the Great Lakes, the shift toward understanding human behavior, and the creative strategies that make this team so effective. Dive into the full interview at the link in bio.

Introducing the Lake Michigan Explorer!
Start exploring the varied factors that impact the Great Lakes with our Explorer Series. This searchable database of external resources can help you find hands-on activities that spark curiosity and inspire action.

✨ What’s inside?
Lesson plans, fact sheets, and reading materials
Engaging videos and visualizations
Easy-to-use filters by grade level, topic, and time.
Perfect for classrooms and informal learning, this resource empowers students to become stewards of the Great Lakes.

🔗 in bio for more.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17993556791875462
Introducing the Lake Michigan Explorer! Start exploring the varied factors that impact the Great Lakes with our Explorer Series. This searchable database of external resources can help you find hands-on activities that spark curiosity and inspire action. ✨ What’s inside?Lesson plans, fact sheets, and reading materialsEngaging videos and visualizationsEasy-to-use filters by grade level, topic, and time.Perfect for classrooms and informal learning, this resource empowers students to become stewards of the Great Lakes.🔗 in bio for more.