>> AT THE END EVERY THIS MONTH,
ILLINOISIANS WILL NO LONGER HAVE
TO HEAR THE WORDS ASIAN CARP.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS AND HUNDREDS
UPON HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS SPENT TRYING TO KEEP
THEM FROM THE GREAT LAKES HOW
CAN THAT BE?
AND WHY DOES THIS NEWS HAVE
ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND THE
STATE'S COMMERCIAL FISHING
INDUSTRIES SWIMMING IN OR SHALL
I SAY LEAPING WITH OPTIMISM?
PARIS SCHUTZ WENT TO FISH OUT
THE ANSWERS.
>> DIRK FUCIK IS THE PURVEYOR OF
DIRK'S FISH AND GOURMET SHOP.
HE SAYS ASIAN CARP MAY ONE DAY
BE MORE POPULAR THAN TILAPIA.
>> I THINK IT IS A BETTER FISH
THAN TILAPIA.
TA LIP YEAH IS OWE MAKE EGG 6.
>> TO PROVE HIS POINT, DIRK
FUCIK IS GRILLING UP CARP
CUISINE FROM CUBAN BURGER TO
TACOS TO SMOKED CARP.
BUT DESPITE, THE ASIAN CARP IS
NOT YET A BEST-SELLER.
>> I'M NOT MAKING MONEY ON IT.
>> AS YOU MAY KNOW, ASIAN CARP
ARE THE LEAPING FISH THAT HAVE
TAKEN ILLINOIS WATERWAYS BY
STORM.
GOVERNMENTS HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COPE
KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE GREAT
LAKES FOR FEAR THEY COULD
DESTROY THE LAKE'S ECOSYSTEM NOW
THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL RESOURCES BELIEVES IT
MAY HAVE FOUND A FIX.
AND IT COSTS NEXT TO NOTHING.
THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE
FISH'S NAME.
>> WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE NAME
MORE ATTRACTIVE SO PEOPLE WILL
BE MORE INCLINED TO PURCHASE
THESE FISH AND TRY THEM AND HAVE
THEM AS TABLE FARE FOR DINNER.
>> WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE NAME
ASIAN CARP?
>> YOU MADE A FACE WHEN YOU SAID
CARP.
>> A TYPICAL CARP IS A BOTTOM
FEEDER A SMELLY FISH THAT ISN'T
APPETIZING TO ANYONE.
ASIAN CARP FEED ON PLAN TON AND
ARE NOT LIKE OTHER CARP.
>> ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
>> WE VISITED DAVE BUCHANAN, AND
CLINT CARTER ON A RECENT MORNING
HAULING IN 4,000 POUNDS WORTH OF
ASIAN CARP AND OTHER FISH IN THE
PEORIA POOL PART OF THE ILLINOIS
RIVER.
CARTER SAYS HE RECENTLY INVESTED
IN A NEW BOAT AND FISHING
EQUIPMENT.
HOPING THE NAME CHANGE LEADS TO
A COMING BOON IN DEMAND.
>> HELP US EXPAND OUR BUSINESS
AND CONCENTRATE ON HARVESTING
THESE FISH.
>> RIGHT NOW COMMERCIAL
FISHERMEN GET A SUBSIDY TO FISH
THE ASIAN CARP OUT OF THE
ILLINOIS RIVER TO CONTROL A
MASSIVE POPULATION THAT HAS
MOVED IN AND TAKEN OVER.
SOME OF THE FISH ARE DESTINED
FOR FERTILIZER OR USES.
BUT OTHERS ESPECIALLY THE BIG
HEAD CARP COULD SOON BE ON YOUR
DINNER PLATE.
THAT IS ONCE THEY HAVE A
ENTICING NEW NAME.
>> SOMETHING SIMPLE AND SHORT
AND NOT CARP.
YOU KNOW.
>> AND THERE IS PRECEDENT FOR
THIS.
CHICAGOAN SEA WAS WAS --
ORANGE ROUGHFY?
KNOWN AS PACIFIC SLIME HEAD.
AFTER A TYPICALLY PRODUCTIVE DAY
IN THE POOL, DAVE AND CLINT HAUL
THEIR LOAD TO SOURCE FRESH WATER
COMPANY A PROCESSOR AND
DISTRIBUTOR.
THE OWNER SAYS HE PIVOTED HIS
BUSINESS NINE MONTHS AGO AFTER
50 YEARS DISTRIBUTING FOOD AND
DRY GOODS HE, TOO, IS BETTING
BIG ON THE NAME CHANGE.
>> RIGHT NOW, WE'VE CREATED
PROBABLY 30-40 NEW JOBS JUST IN
THE FIRST NINE MONTHS MAINLY
THROUGH THE FISHERMEN.
>> THE MEAT IS LILLY WHITE AND
PLENTIFUL BUT ONE MORE
IMPEDIMENT TO SUCCESS...
>> THE ONE BAD THING ABOUT CARP
IT'S BONEY AND I CANNOT GIVE YOU
A BONELESS PIECE OF CARP IT HAS
TO BE PROCESSED AND GROUND UP IT
CAN BE BURGER, SAUSAGES,
MEATBALLS, TACO MEET ANYTHING
WITH GROUND MEAT.
>> WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO THE
TEST.
FIRST, THE CARP BURGERS.
>> CAR PAY DEYES, MA'AM.
>> CARPE DIEM.
>> GOOD.
>> NEXT.
THE ASIAN CARP FISH TACO.
>> REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
>> AND FINALLY, SMOKED ASIAN
CARP.
IT'S LIKE SMOKED FISH.
>> AND THE REVIEWS WERE MOSTLY
SATISFACTORY AMONG CUSTOMERS.
>> GENERAL IMPRESSION THEY WERE
SORT OF THROW AWAY FISH.
BUT IT TASTES FINE.
>> ILLINOIS PUBLIC OFFICIALS
WILL REVEAL THE NAME CHANGE ON
JUNE 29 HOPING SEAFOOD LOVERS
PROTECT ILLINOIS WATERWAYS AND
THE GREAT LAKES FROM AN
AGGRESSIVE INVASIVE SPECIES BY
EATING LOADS OF IT.
FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" THIS IS
PARIS SCHUTZ.
>> I THINK PARIS WAS INTO THE
STORY FOR THE SNACKS.
BY NOW YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT IS
THE NEW NAME?
WELL, PUBLIC OFFICIALS SAY THEY
HAVE CHOSEN SOMETHING CREATIVE