need to know
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Invasive carp harvested from Kansas river for nutrient recovery, state officials say
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More than 109,000 pounds of carp have been taken from the river since 2022, including a record catch of 36,000 pounds in 2025
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The effort is part of a broader regional effort to remove more than 20 million pounds of invasive carp annually
Kansas wildlife officials are shedding new light on what happens when invasive carp are harvested from the Kansas River — an ongoing problem after more than 100,000 pounds of fish were taken from the waterway in the past four years.
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) revealed that invasive Asian carp removed during ongoing management efforts have returned to the river system as part of a “nutrient recycling process.” An agency spokesman said the fish were returned to the river to decompose naturally, allowing the nutrients stored in their bodies to reenter the ecosystem.
“This allows the fish to decompose naturally and ensures that the nutrients stored in the fish are returned to the river ecosystem,” explained a KDWP spokesperson, who described the practice as an “environmentally sound” way to close the loop after large-scale removals.
Kristen Peters/USFWS
The clarification comes after years of carp removal activity along the Kansas River. As PEOPLE previously reported, KDWP biologists have removed approximately 109,000 pounds of invasive carp since the organized effort began in 2022. The activity peaked in 2025, when officials removed 36,863 pounds from the river—the most successful year on record.
The removal operation targets three invasive species present in Kansas waters: whitebait, bighead carp and black carp. Originally imported from Asia in the 1970s to improve aquaculture, the fish escaped into Midwestern waterways decades ago and spread rapidly. They grow rapidly, consume large amounts of plankton, and compete directly with native fish for food.
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“These removals appear to be having a positive impact on Kansas waterways and native species,” said Liam Odell, invasive carp biologist with KDWP, noting that biologists are observing population declines in areas where removals are concentrated, along with signs of a return of native species.
illinois department of natural resources
The Kansas effort is part of a larger multi-state effort. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Mississippi River Basin’s Invasive Carp Management Program currently removes more than 20 million pounds of invasive carp from U.S. waters each year.
The agency announced nearly $19 million in funding in August 2025 to support carp removal, monitoring and prevention efforts in 18 states, including Kansas.
In Kansas, biologists use a combination of electrofishing, gillnets and specialized equipment, including electric dozer trawls designed specifically to remove carp. In 2025, the work was expanded 15 miles downstream, while Bowersock Dam in Lawrence, Kansas, continues to prevent fish from spreading upstream.
KDWP officials said the year-round fishery will continue and may expand as research and funding allows, emphasizing that controlling invasive carp remains critical to protecting native ecosystems even after the fish leave the nets.
Read the original article on People
