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.