An invasive fish species that is putting the Midwest underwater ecosystem in danger now has a new name. Copi was announced as the moniker the fish formerly known as Asian carp; the new name was part of a $600,000 rebranding effort by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which unveiled the new name to reduce negative connotations of the species and to encourage consumption.

During today’s online launch event, representatives with IDNR stated that copi is a play on “copious,” meaning abundant in supply. An estimate showed that 20-50 million pounds of copi could be pulled from Illinois waterways with hundreds of millions more in waterways from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast.

“Copi is a great name: Short, crisp and easy to say. What diner won’t be intrigued when they read copi tacos or copi burgers on a menu?” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan in a statement. 

As part of the rebranding, a host of retailers and chefs have committed to putting copi on their menus and in stores, offering the public a variety of ways to enjoy the fish. Ina Mae Tavern will offer a copi po’boy sandwich, copi crab cakes and will also serve it as blackened filets.

“There are a lot of pin bones in the fish; the bones are the biggest challenge of cooking it. But the flavor profile is great, and I think as more chefs and restaurant folks mess around with it, you'll get a ton of great recipes, because it is extremely versatile,” said Chef Brian Jupiter, owner of Ina Mae Tavern.

Jupiter, who was recently crowned champion on the cooking series “Chopped,” said that integrating copi into familiar dishes helps make the transition easier for those who may be skeptical to try it, “With this fish in particular, just because of the reputation that it has, I think that you have to prepare it in a way that people have had. If we smoke it or fold it into a bouillabaisse, people will actually enjoy it.”

In addition to the mild taste of copi, the fish also has nutritional value with low levels of mercury and heart-healthy high omega-3s, a selling point that is key to marketing the fish to consumers.

Rebranding effort

After an accidental dump into the Mississippi River in the 1970s, Asian carp escaped and have multiplied. Migrating up the Mississippi River system, the species is said to outproduce other species and if not controlled can overrun Midwest waterways. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the species would threaten a $7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry.

Once sold in stores, the fish will be referred to as carp and copi until federal regulators approve the name change. Illinois will apply to formally change the name with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration by the end of the year. 

Span, the studio that worked on the new branding, promoted the effort on Wednesday. M. Harris & Co. handled public relations for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Tetra Tech.

“As home to the largest continuous link between Lake Michigan and the copi-filled Mississippi River system, Illinois has a unique responsibility in the battle to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. I’m proud of Illinois, its partners and other states for rising to this challenge,” said John Gross, former White House invasive carp adviser, stating that consuming copi is one of the easiest things people can do to protect Lake Michigan.

Rebranding has worked for other species, Prof. Pradeep Chintagunta of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business said before the copi announcement. “Chilean sea bass, from what I understand, is actually not sea bass at all. It's actually a Patagonian toothfish. So I think that's been pretty successful.”

Orange roughy was originally known as slimehead and peekytoe crab was once known as mud crab, examples that offer a peek into how successful a rebrand can be for Asian carp.

From prunes to dried plums

Chintagunta also mentioned the success other foods have had with renaming. “If you think about the prunes industry in the supermarket now, they also sell dried plums, which are exactly the same as prunes. But you want to move away from the image of prunes because, you know, maybe that's what mostly old people consume.”

There have been other efforts to rebrand the fish. 

Chintagunta said he isn’t entirely sure how successful the effort will be. It all depends on rollout and how available the fish is, but ultimately depends on the taste of it, he said.“When we go to fast-food restaurants and eat whatever, the fish filet, or whatever the sandwich is, oftentimes, we don't know what fish they use,'' he said.

Though this is the first attempt by the state and federal government to change the name of the fish, the entities have collaborated to prevent the fish from entering Lake Michigan with a project to add on to the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. The $858 million project will include an electric barrier, underwater sound, an air bubble curtain and flushing lock to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan.