Asian Carp fish is renamed as ‘Invasive Carp’ in US over concerns about ‘cultural insensitivity’

Asian Carp, a group of several species of carp introduced to the United States from China by Asian farmers in the 1970s, are gradually being renamed in the US as “invasive carp” due to concerns about racist overtones.

Minnesota agencies were ordered in 2014 to start referring to Asian Carp as Invasive Carp, as politicians questioned the sensitivity of the original name, and now, several years on, other states and organizations have started to follow.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service reportedly started referring to Asian Carp as Invasive Carp in April, according to AP, while the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee will change its name on August 2.

In the US, Asian Carp typically refers to four species of the fish: Grass Carp, Silver Carp, Bighead Carp, and Black Carp.

US Fish and Wildlife Service Great Lakes regional director, Charlie Wooley, claimed the agency “wanted to move away from any terms that cast Asian culture and people in a negative light,” as cases of anti-Asian hate attacks continue to make the news in the US.

Song Qian, an environmental sciences associate professor at the University of Toledo, also warned that “if you say it's invasive, bad and needs to be eradicated, even though it's because of miscommunication, that's why there's talk about cultural insensitivity.”

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!