I've wondered my whole life (I'm 68 now) about the problems created by common carp in many of our waters. I suppose commercial fishing and processing of these abundant, destructive pests has captured the attention of plenty of business-minded people over the years.
Properly designed capture methods could yield tonnage of carp for fish meal, for pet food, for fertilizer, etc. The question is what could these methods be!? I imagine nearly everything has been tried. Gill nets, electro-shocking, stupefying substances, traps, carp fishing derbies, on and on, come to mind. Refrigerated trucks or trailers stationed at collection points. Lots of other ideas.
And, I'd gladly pay a tax or an increase of my fishing license fee for effective carp reduction and the additional game fish populations that could result. In fact, I'd like to be able to earmark the license dollars I must contribute towards hatchery trout production to a cause of reducing carp. I'll take fewer hatchery "slimy" rainbows any day if it means fewer carp.
