Asian Carp is an invasive fish which is actually four distinct species: Silver, Bighead, Grass and Black carp. After escaping from fish farms after flooding in the 1970s, Asian Carp have begun crowding out native fish in the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio and other rivers; they’ve also shown up in Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. FIn aimed to take a problem and turn it into an economic boon.
Asian Carp rank among the highest of all fish in dietary protein and omega-3 fatty acids — only wild-caught salmon is higher in protein. Because of its diet — top-water plankton and vegetation instead of other fish — Asian Carp is virtually free of mercury and lead. And it is plentiful.
The products that FIn makes are considered very high end.
“It is the Japanese who set the standards for the Surimi market and they have said that our fish are superior to the traditionally used Pollack in cleanliness and texture,” Luu and Crilly reported.
FIn goes a step further. They utilize all parts of the fish; what’s not used for human consumption is processed for animal food and fertilizer. FIn has a growing business in soil amendments. The waste from processing the fish is pulverized and dried and the resulting product is used as a soil enhancer which looks and feels like mulch. Luu reported that their agricultural partner testing the soil amendment is reporting higher growth rates in corn — the grain is as high at three weeks as it usually is in six.
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— BARB EIDLIN
