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Carp conundrum: Fish disposal options

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JANESVILLE — Here’s a question local residents never thought they’d be asking themselves: What should I do with the dead carp in my yard?

As the floodwaters recede, most of the carp who swam into never-before-explored territories—yards, streets, parking lots—will go back into the Rock River, said Don Bush, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist and carp guru.

Carp are the honor students of the fish world and are smart enough to know when the pond they’ve been enjoying for the past several weeks is slowly turning back into a sidewalk.

“If there was ever a Jeopardy show featuring the three smart organisms on the planet, the contestants would be a carp, a crow and a raccoon,” Bush said. “They’re all really smart.”

Still, some of those honor students will wash out of their schools, and end belly up on land.

So what then?

Say a few words over the deceased and then consider the dos and don’ts of carp disposal:

-- Do not throw any part of the dead carp back into the water. It’s against DNR rules. When asked why this was, a local angler said, “Because it’s nasty.”

-- Remember that carp should be handled like anything else that’s covered in floodwater—very carefully. Floodwater is full of toxins from sewage plant discharge.

Wear gloves and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after any contact with floodwater.

-- Bagging them up and throwing them into the trash is allowed—but please be nice about it.

“Wrap them up really well,” said John Whitcomb, city operations manager.

When a garbage truck’s packing mechanism goes to work, poorly packaged parcels pop under pressure.

Nobody wants to be sprayed with rancid fish guts.

So be nice.

-- Consider composting. Every school child learns that Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to bury dead fish at the base of corn plants.

“They’re rich in phosphorous and nitrogen,” Bush said.

Fish can be mixed with an existing compost pile or buried in a garden.

Any floodwater toxins will break down in the composting process, Bush added.

Some caveats: Fish stink. If you mix them into a compost pile, you’ll have to deal with it. So will your neighbors.

The raccoons, however, will love it, and you might want to think about that before tossing carp into your compost pile.

-- Any live carp still paddling around in the pools on your lawn can be returned to the river, Bush said.