Oklahoma
Invasive black carp confirmed in Oklahoma after turning up in McCurtain County pond
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — An invasive fish species has been found in Oklahoma.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife confirmed the first invasive black carp was found in the state.
Black carp are large fish native to East Asia that were imported to the United States in the 1970s as a control agent for snail pests in agricultural ponds.
The fish escaped captivity and made it to the Mississippi River basin, where they have wreaked havoc for decades, consuming and vying for habitat with native species.
ODWC confirmed the first report of a black carp was found within a private pond in McCurtain County.
Carp feed on mussels and snails and have the potential to “seriously impact” an already imperiled native mussel species, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife.
The importation and possession of black carp is illegal in Oklahoma.
If you catch a black carp, ODWC said you need to kill it, keep it on ice, and report it to them.