《經濟學人》：美國的亞洲鯉魚泛濫成災，要改名Copi?

原文标題：

Rebranding the Asian carp

Copicat

To hook diners, an invasive species of carp gets a new name

Ceci n’est pas une carpe

It has worked before, for the Patagonian toothfish and the slimehead

Ceci n'est pas une carpe

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What’s not to like about Asian carp? Nutritious, mild and delicate in flavour, it can be filleted, deep-fried or minced into fish cakes—just mind the bones. But Americans do not care for it. For starters, they confuse the fish with the common (or European) carp that is a bottom feeder, a much-maligned group. Yet tempting people to eat more Asian carp could boost biodiversity in rivers across America’s South and Midwest. With a new campaign, officials in Illinois hope to lure diners.

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The carp was brought from Asia in the 1970s to help clean aquafarms in Arkansas. (They clear the water of plankton and algae, earning them the name of “filter feeders”.) From there they escaped into the Mississippi and propagated northward, outcompeting native fish species for food. Now they are abundant in the Illinois River. Ecologists worry they will evade barriers in the waterways around Chicago and enter the Great Lakes, reducing the native fish diversity there.

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In 2018 the Illinois Department of Natural Resources decided it would “recast” how Asian carp is perceived. Marketers were brought in. They cooked up a new name, which was released on June 22nd: copi (for copious). Nick Adam of Span, the agency behind the rebranding, says the goal was to shed the fish’s reputation as one only for adventurous eaters. Focus groups described copi as “cute” and “manageable”.

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Asian carp is not the first to get a makeover. The Patagonian toothfish is marketed in America as Chilean sea bass (it is neither a bass nor native to Chile). The foul-sounding slimehead has been much better known as orange roughy since the late 1970s. And managing invasive species by harvesting them is not a novel idea either. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal agency, exhorts people to eat lionfish, which threaten reefs along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. Louisiana’s wildlife department offers recipes for nutria, a semi-aquatic rodent with an irrepressible breeding habit. Ragondin à l’orange, anyone?

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Lionfish is quite well-liked, notwithstanding its 18 venomous fin spines; the toothfish’s new name was such a hit that it arguably contributed to its overfishing. But evidence is mixed about whether harvesting to control an invasive species is effective. With Asian carp, only larger fish are targeted for human consumption. A study by researchers at Michigan State University recommended that fishermen be given incentives to catch small ones too, for use in fertiliser and fish meal.

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But creating demand also risks impeding efforts to reduce numbers. Prairie Rivers Network, an environmental group, has opposed the copi rebranding because it seems to “incentivise a long-term sustainable carp fishery in Illinois waters”. Much will depend on whether America’s gourmands cop on to copi.

（恭喜讀完，本篇英語詞彙量482左右）

原文出自：2022年7月9日《經濟學人》United States版塊

精讀筆記來源于：自由英語之路

本文翻譯整理: Irene

本文編輯校對: Irene

僅供個人英語學習交流使用。

【補充資料】（來自于網絡）

亞洲鯉魚Asian carp是原産地亞洲的鯉科魚類，是美國人對青魚、草魚、鳙魚、鲢魚、鲫魚及鯉魚這些鯉形目鯉科魚類的通稱 。亞洲鯉魚每天能攝入相當于其體重40%的水草、浮遊生物或野生蚌類。

1963 年美國為了防止水體中浮遊植物肆意生長、淨化水體，從中國引進了草魚， 并在随後幾年引進了鳙魚、鲢魚和青魚，取得了效果。然而亞洲鯉魚立刻開啟了瘋狂的入侵模式，憑借饕餮的胃口，強大的繁殖能力，沒有天敵的優勢，一路攻湖掠泊，肆虐美國十幾個州，很快就成為河流湖泊中的絕對霸主，一些地方甚至已占據魚類總量的90%，導緻本土水生動物無法生存，水生植物資源大量枯竭。2014年1月，美國奧巴馬政府不得不耗資180億美元，希望用25年時間構築堤壩，防止亞洲鯉魚攻入本土淡水魚類最後的保留地——五大湖。

濾食性魚類Filter Feeders是一類用鰓耙過濾水中微小的浮遊生物、細菌、有機碎屑等的魚類，代表性的種類有鲢、鳙等，是大陸傳統的養殖魚類。濾食性魚類最常見種類為四大家魚中的鲢魚和鳙魚。

歐洲鯉魚：多栖息於水域中下層，而以富營養水域底泥砂質靜水域為主，有集體群遊習性。為雜食性魚類，以小型無脊椎動物與底栖動物為主。亞洲鯉魚被美國群眾誤認為是底層魚，污染重。其實，亞洲鯉魚是上層魚，以水中浮遊生物為食。與同一水域中的大型肉食性魚類相比，亞洲鯉魚在食物鍊中屬于受污染相對很輕的魚種。

焦點小組（Focus Group），也稱小組訪談，是社會科學研究中常用的質性研究方法。一般由一個經過研究訓練的調查者主持，采用半結構方式（即預先設定部分訪談問題的方式），與一組被調查者交談。

小組訪談的主要目的是傾聽被調查者對研究問題的看法。被調查者選自研究的總體人群。小組訪談的優點在于，研究者常常可以從自由讨論中得到意想不到的發現。

橙連鳍鲑（Orange Roughy)，長壽魚，紐西蘭紅魚又名金黃魚，屬鲈形目石首魚科學，與中國的大黃魚屬同一族群。

【重點句子】（3個）

And managing invasive species by harvesting them is not a novel idea either.

通過捕魚來控制入侵魚類并不是新鮮事。

But evidence is mixed about whether harvesting to control an invasive species is effective.

但是，關于“捕魚以控制入侵魚類是否有效“的證據不一。

But creating demand also risks impeding efforts to reduce numbers.

但創造需求也有可能會增加鯉魚的數量。

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