Catching an invasive species of fish could now be a profitable venture for Arkansas anglers.
Across the state, anyone who catches a black carp will be eligible for a $100 payment, KATV reported. Anglers can claim up to 10 rewards per month, but each catch must meet proper criteria and be properly documented.
The rewards are funded through the "Keep, Cool, Call" program, run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
"Commercial anglers and recreational anglers, including bowfishers, who happen to catch a black carp are eligible," Racheal Irby, invasive carp biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said in a statement. "But they'll need to follow the correct procedure to ensure they receive payment for their catch."
Upon catching a black carp, anglers should humanely kill the fish and keep it on ice or in a freezer, as keeping a live black carp is illegal. They need to note the exact location of the catch, the type of gear and bait used, and any conditions such as water temperature and flow. That information, along with photos of the carp's head and mouth, should be sent to the proper state officials.
According to KATV, the program started in Illinois and has now expanded to other states along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
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Black carp are one of four species that form a group known as invasive carp. According to the Fish & Wildlife Service, they are native to eastern Asia and first came to the United States in the 1970s and 1980s to help control the population of yellow grub and other pests in private fish farms. They made their way into the Mississippi River in the 1990s.
Just like other invasive species, invasive carp reproduce quickly and can take over their new environments by using up resources typically used by native plants and wildlife. Invasive carp feast on phytoplankton, which are a key food source and the basis of freshwater and marine ecosystems. Previously, the overconsumption of phytoplankton has led the federal government to spend $1 billion on trying to prevent the spread of invasive carp in the Great Lakes.
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