Oklahoma will now pay $100 to anyone who catches a certain invasive fish within the state.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation announced the bounty for anyone who catches and reports a black carp, Fox 23 News reported. Anglers can claim the reward up to 10 times per month, but each catch will need to meet certain requirements.
“Recreational anglers, including bowfishers, who happen to catch a black carp are eligible,” Erika Sarvela, invasive carp biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, said in a release. “They’ll need to follow the correct procedure to ensure they receive payment for their catch.”
The bounty is part of the “Keep, Cool, Call” program, which is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It began in Illinois but has spread to several other states in the Mississippi River basin. Arkansas announced its own $100 bounty under the same program earlier this summer.
Black carp were introduced to the United States in the 1970s to 1980s, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and are now one of four fish species known collectively as invasive carp.
Just like other invasive species, black carp can spread quickly and use valuable resources that are needed by native plants and wildlife. They feed on mussels and snails, posing a threat to those local species.
To claim the reward, anglers who catch a black carp in a “Keep, Cool, Call” state should humanely kill the fish and put it on ice, as transporting a live black carp is illegal in the state. They should note the exact location of the catch, as well as the type of gear used and conditions.
That information, along with photos of the fish’s head, mouth, and whole body, must then be sent to the proper state officials. And if anyone isn’t sure whether the fish is a black carp, they should still report it to the proper authorities.
“Although the reward is only for the black carp,” Sarvela said, “we still want anglers to report details about any other invasive carp caught in the state.”
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