The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the listing of the black carp as an “injurious” species, thus banning the importation and interstate transportation of the invasive fish.

The move was lauded by the Great Lakes Fishing Commission. New classification of all forms of live black carp, gametes, viable eggs, and hybrids; and all forms of live large-scale silver carp, gametes, viable eggs, and hybrids to the list of injurious fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, discouraging transport and slowing the spread of the voracious invasive fish.

The action against the black carp follows a similar move against the infamous silver carp earlier this summer.

Not listed was the fish that may matter most to Minnesotans; the bighead carp. While this fish has yet to establish itself in Minnesota’s waters, a 29-pound bighead was pulled from the Lake Pepin on October 3rd by a commercial fisherman.

I asked Marc Gadin of the Great Lakes Fishing Commission about the status of the bighead. He was optimistic, saying “the Fish and Wildlife Service is on the mover here,” and expressed “hope the bighead will be added as well.”