While filming for a CBS News documentary on invasive species, Chef Philippe Parola and CBS executive producer Adam Yamaguchi is shown an Asian Carp by Chad Broussard. The fish had just jumped in the boat while on the Old River. Screen Capture: CBS News
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
A silent and deadly cancer is spreading throughout the bayous and rivers of Louisiana; as well as Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri all the way to Illinois, Minnesota and the gates of the Great Lakes. Asian carp has overtaken the Mississippi River System threatening the ecosystem, as well as multi-million dollar recreational and commercial fishing industries.
Fisherman Rusty Kimble holding an Asian Carp. Photo: Chef Philippe Parola
“All our rivers and bayous are connected to the Mississippi, and they all have Asian Carp,” said Baton Rouge Chef Philippe Parola, who for more than 10-years has made it his mission to find a solution to the ever-widening problem. “Our problem is nobody really cares and there is no way to eradicate them.”
These insatiable giants were first imported in the 1970s to remove algae from ponds, but were displaced by flooding and spilled into the waterways where they now crowd out favorites like catfish, shrimp and buffalo fish.
Eye On Asian Carp
The Bayou Chef has had his eye on the Asian carp situation since Hurricane Katrina and he is not been shy about expressing his frustration over the slow bureaucracy of addressing the serious threat to the ecosystem. He feels it is imperative to be proactive in handling the problem and has come up with what he feels is a solution.
Chef Parola has had his eye on the Asian carp situation since Hurricane Katrina and he is not been shy about expressing his frustration over the slow bureaucracy of addressing the serious threat to the ecosystem. Chef with carp fishermen Rusty Kimble (center) and Preston Terrell. Photo: Chef Philippe Parola
Ten years ago the invasive fish, which can grow to 100 pounds and leap more than 10 feet in the air when startled, was only in freshwater devouring plankton, the life source to almost every commercial and recreational fishing species. Since then the state has been hit by more than a dozen tropical storms and hurricanes, including Ida that racked havoc on the State’s seafood industry.
“I fear the surge and winds from Hurricane Ida has swept the fish into new channels,” he said. “These fish can adapt to brackish or even salt water. Research scientists studying the species have raised them in saltwater tanks where able to adapt.”
To ensure the survival of native species, Chef Parola, who has a reputation for serving unusual entrees at dinnertime, decide to find a solution for the rapidly growing problem, “Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em!”
“This concept provides a unique solution for the carp threatening the aquatic eco-system of the entire Mississippi River Basin,” he explained to Gulf Seafood News.
“When you were talking about invasive species and invasive fish, I don’t know what I was expecting in my head, but I wasn’t expecting it to taste good. This is very, very good,” CSB/Viacom and Executive Producer told Chef Parola. Screen Capture: CBS News
“By promoting the commercial harvest of the fish we can reduce their population so they can eventually coexist with native species and minimize water sports accidents and deaths caused by their jumps. Most importantly we will create much needed jobs to revitalize commercial fisheries and stimulate local economies by providing a clean, healthy fish product for consumers.”
Asian carp, which the chef has rebranded as Silverfin, has meat that is light, mild and flaky, similar to crabmeat. “Asian carp suffered from a serious image problem. People confuse the fish with the common bottom-feeding carp, which has a strong fishy flavor. It also has an incredibly complex bone structure of the fish making it difficult to remove the meat,” he explained.
“When you were talking about invasive species and invasive fish, I don’t know what I was expecting in my head, but I wasn’t expecting it to taste good. This is very, very good,” CSB/Viacom vExecutive Producer Adam Yamaguchi told Chef Parola after tasting the fish during an on camera interview for a CBS documentary on invasive species. “It tastes like a cross between white fish and crab.”
Don Quixote
Since starting his Don Quixote like quest he has met with environmentalist, government officials, fishermen, media and investors. His untiring efforts to find a market for the fish was just starting to bear fruit then came the Covid pandemic.
In Louisiana both Governor John Bell Edwards and Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, along with the Secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries Jack Montoucet, support the program.
Asian Carp, or Silverfin as Chef Parola has named, cut in the kitchen and ready to be cooked. Screen Capture: CBS News
Lt. Governor Nungesser, whose office oversees the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, feels the solution to the invasive doesn’t rest with government projects, instead in private enterprise and old-fashioned marketing,
“With our state’s seafood industry recovering from damages caused by Hurricane Ida, previous storms and the pandemic, we have to be proactive now and find new solutions,” said the Lt. Governor. “As the Louisiana Fishing Community Recovery Coalition prepares to head to Washington, D.C. with information from the recently completed economic damage assessment, infrastructure funding for an Asian carp processing plant could help us more than ever. By addressing the Asian carp invasive species issue, not only can we protect our native species, but we can also develop a new sought after commodity that will provide new jobs for our fisherman.”
According to Harlon Pearce, chair of the Louisiana Fishing Community Recovery Coalition and member of the Gulf Seafood Foundation, the problems bringing Asian Carp to market have been almost insurmountable. “You have to start at the water to make this work. Right now we don’t have all the solutions in place. I think this is a good thing. What Chef Parola is doing makes sense, especially now. This is the time to bring value added products to the market.”
Richard Durrett and helper harvests Asian Carp on the Old River. Che Parola feels his program will be especially beneficial to the many depressed areas of the Mississippi basin. Screen Capture: CBS News
Pearce, who runs one of the largest catfish processing plants in the state, says so far catfish fishermen have not reported the carp interfering with their baited lines. “At the moment it we have been lucky, but in the future that may change.”
Chef Parola is not waiting for the government to lead, he is in the process of making new Silverfin samples with a wider diversity of products. “In addition to the fish cake, we have developed a fish pie, fish nuggets and fish fingers. We have also incorporated more vitamins to make it more appealing for schools, students and even the military to buy the products.”
To promote the new assortment he is taking his products various food shows.
He has plans to build a processing facility on the outskirts of New Orleans, which he feels is the “Food Capital of the U.S.”. “Hopefully 2022 will be the year of Silverfin,” he said.
The chef hopes to get production up and running as soon as possible to help the fishermen. He feels the program will be beneficial to the many depressed areas of the Mississippi basin.
Richard Durrett (right), a lifelong Louisiana-based commercial fisherman, says that for the last decade he’s been struggling to stay afloat. “This is my livelihood, this is my only source of income is commercial fishing.” Screen Capture: CBS News
He asked, “Do you know how many people there are out there starving to death? For a an approximate $50 commercial fishing license a fisherman with an average size boat can bring in 5500 -7500 lbs. of fish, that could mean between $1500 to $2000 in pocket. I have a fisherman network in place throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The fishermen are eager to make this happen.”
Richard Durrett, a lifelong Louisiana-based commercial fisherman, says that for the last decade he’s been struggling to stay afloat.
“When I was a younger guy we had probably 30, 32 local fishermen,” he told a CBS News team. “We’re down to seven now. We need a market for these fish, if we could get a market for these fish it could put our commercial fishing industry back on the map. This is my livelihood, this is my only source of income is commercial fishing.”
The chef feels his program will be especially beneficial to the many depressed areas of the Mississippi basin. He envisions an eventual network of processing plants along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
“Our policy makers live in their little bubble and don’t have any idea what is out there,” said the Louisiana chef. “I am not saying I’m going to completely resolve the crisis, but continuing on this path, making it efficient program, we can make a big difference in the lives of thousands, if not millions, of peoples.” Screen Capture: CBS News
“Our policy makers live in their little bubble and don’t have any idea what is out there,” said the Louisiana chef. “I am not saying I’m going to completely resolve the crisis, but continuing on this path, making it efficient program, we can make a big difference in the lives of thousands, if not millions, of peoples.”
As climate change expands the boundaries for invasive species such as nutria, wild boar, snow goose to name a few, Chef Parola is working to unite the effort to control them under the “Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em!” platform.
“We have to get in front of the media as the good guys promoting the sustainability of this projects. There is no better time than today because tomorrow may be to late,” he said.
The chef explained that hundreds of millions of dollars have already been spent by policy makers trying to eradicate invasive species, an impossible task. Once an invasive species gains a foothold in an ecosystem it is there to stay, often with devastating consequences. Nearly 40 percent of all species extinct in the last 400 years disappeared largely because of invasives.
“With just a small portion of that money do you know how many food processing plants can be opened? How many jobs could be created? How many people could be fed?” he asked.
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