More than 6 tons of invasive carp removed from Illinois River

More than 2,000 invasive Asian carp fish were removed from the Illinois River near Starved Rock on Thursday to protect the river’s native species and ecosystem.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources hires commercial fishermen to find and remove the carp. Nick Dickau is one of the contracted fishermen who help remove the invasive species.

Dickau said the carp eat more plankton than the native fish species, diminishing the plankton population and consuming most of the native species’ food source. He also said the carp “spawn faster, grow faster and multiply like crazy.” The carp also can be a danger to anyone who takes a boat on the river because of their tendency to jump out of the water.

On Thursday, there were 980 fish caught on Dickau’s boat, equating to roughly 6,500 pounds. There were other boats catching carp, Dickau said.

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Nick Dickau, commercial fisherman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, drives a flat bottom boat onto a trailer full of Asian carp on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, at the Starved Rock Marina in Ottawa. The IDNR has been netting the carp all week along the Illinois River. (Scott Anderson)

Asian carp are an invasive species in the Illinois River likely a result of fish farms. Dickau said the agency doesn’t want the fish to expand farther and make it to the Great Lakes. He couldn’t quantify how many carp there are in the river, saying they’re simply unlimited. He said the fish are especially thick below the dam near Starved Rock.

Dickau said the team takes multiple boats and uses the motor to lure the fish into the nets. The fishermen were lucky Thursday and found a large group of carp to remove early in their search.

After the carp are caught, they’re taken to Peoria and used as fertilizer. Dickau said the IDNR has contracted the fishermen for the last 12 years to routinely manage the carp population and protect the native species.