Would you eat carp?

Carp: a common, oily freshwater fish, very often seen swimming in the rivers of both Europe and Asia. To control their population, Chicago has started eating them – but would you?

In an attempt to stop Asian carp entering North America’s Great Lakes (and consequently threatening indigenous fish species such as salmon), Chicago's authorities are considering such drastic measures as blocking off the city’s canal system – an £11 billion project.

But a far cheaper option is already being explored: turn the carp into fish burgers, and eat them to extinction.  

BBC News reported that one man, Dirk Fucik, is selling carp burgers at his specialist fish shop near downtown Chicago. He told the BBC that carp are a great resource, and “to catch [them] and throw [them] away is a waste."

“Eating them helps solve the problem and also provides jobs,” he said. Mr Fucik’s burgers are made from the obvious, plus lemon zest and pepper, and “did not taste bad at all” according to BBC journalist Pallab Ghosh. But to date Mr Fucik is the only person in the whole of Chicago who sells carp burgers, and there’s doubts that the idea will catch on.

We want to know: would you eat carp? Especially knowing that it might help save the Great Lakes of North America? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the Comments box below.  

Carp image courtesy of Dezidor

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