An operation in the Starved Rock pool of the Illinois River has netted 750,000 pounds of silver carp, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
IDNR says the harvest, between November 27th and December 6th, is believed to be the biggest freshwater harvest record in the country.
Along with funding support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, IDNR funds the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to contract with commercial fishers. The fishers removed more than 1 million pounds of carp annually from various pools along the Illinois River.
This latest harvest will bolster the annual removal to 1.7 million pounds.
IDNR aquatic nuisance species program crew leader Justin Widloe says the partnership with commercial fishers has been highly at preventing the upstream advance of invasive carp.