ECONOMICS OF DEBONING BIGHEAD AND SILVER CARP FILLETS

Dakota Raab*, Siddhartha Dasgupta, & Quinton Phelps
Kentucky State University
Dakota.Raab@kysu.edu

Invasive silver and bighead carp were reported in natural waters of the United States in the early 1980s and have since spread throughout the Mississippi and other river basins that drain into the Gulf of Mexico.  The introduction of bighead and silver carp to non-native waters poses ecological and human safety concerns.  Considered an excellent food fish in much of the world, neither bighead nor silver carp are consumed in the United States outside of ethnic markets due to the presence of intramuscular "Y" bones in the fillet and unfavorable opinions of any fish bearing the carp name.  Past studies have explored methods of rendering bones edible but have rarely aimed to completely remove "Y" bones.  The removal of intramuscular bones could drastically improve the palatability of the carp allowing for increased demand, increased harvest, and some level of population control in infiltrated water bodies.

Bighead and silver carp were filleted by hand and intramuscular "Y" bones were removed.  Duration of each processing step was timed for individual fish to determine average processing time.  Weights and lengths were taken before processing, after filleting, and after "Y" bone removal to determine condition factor (K) and dress-out rate.  

The above data were used in a mathematical programming model to estimate the least cost option to produce various amounts of deboned carp.  Results of this model highlight an optimal processing plan and should be used in conjunction with consumers' willingness to pay measures to determine the economic feasibility of this enterprise.