Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Wildlife Forever/Yamaha Rightwaters Invasive Carp Program

Wildlife Forever, wants your carp fish pictures. Along with Yamaha RighwatersTM, the two conservation partners are launching “Catch, Kiss, & Cook!” national social media photo contest. It’s a new innovative campaign to fight against invasive carp that are a detriment to sportfishing in our lakes and rivers. This fun campaign is part of Wildlife Forever’s Citizen Carp Control program.

“It’s a fun challenge. And our goal is to inspire anglers, chefs, influencers and everyday citizens alike to help protect our waterways,” said Zach Burnside, Wildlife Forever’s Invasive Species Program Manager.

Invasive carp include bighead, black, silver and grass carp. They adversely take over sport fish habitat and hurt local economies dependent on sportfishing revenue. “Catch, Kiss, & Cook!" is a fun way to promote the use of carp as a food source. Anglers can offset their impact, turning an environmental problem into a tasty opportunity.

How to Participate:

  1. Catch: Head to your local waterways and start catching invasive carp. Check out this video for tips on landing the big one.
  2. Kiss: Snap a photo of yourself giving your catch a “kiss.” (or whatever you’re comfortable doing).
  3. Cook: Find a recipe – some ideas can be found here – and share a photo of your prepared dish. Get your Iron Chef face on!
  4. Enter: Submit your photos and stories on social media using the hashtag #CatchKissCook for a chance to win exciting prizes, including fishing gear, branded apparel and cooking equipment.

Note: Please follow all local, state and federal laws as it pertains to the transfer of controlled invasive species.

Participants have through March 31st, 2025, to enter the contest. Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality and the message of conservation.

Join the movement today! For more details on "Catch, Kiss, & Cook!" and to view contest rules, visit CitizenCarpControl.org