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Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill., in 2019. A Platteville fish dealer has been convicted of illegally selling the destructive invasive species, which can survive for more than a day out of water.
Asian carp -- from top, silver, bighead, and grass -- photographed at a Springfield, Ill., fish market. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the invasive species are atop the state's "Least Wanted" list.
In the first such case in Wisconsin, a Platteville fish dealer has been convicted of selling Asian carp, a pervasive and destructive invasive species.
Ping Li, 38, pleaded guilty last month in Grant County and Dane County circuit courts to two misdemeanors and 17 non-criminal violations, according to court records, and was fined more than $13,000.
The violations included possession of illegal fish and using an unmarked van to transport fish as well as failure to maintain records of who caught the fish and where they were sold.
The largest tract -- more than 1,900 acres -- adjoins the Quincy Bluff and Wetlands State Natural Area, a 6,600-acre preserve just east of Castle Rock Lake.
The charges, filed in 2020, stemmed from a two-year investigation by Department of Natural Resources wardens, who used undercover work, surveillance and GPS trackers to crack the case.
The types of carp involved in this case — bighead, silver and grass — are different from German or common carp, which have lived in Wisconsin since the mid-1800s.
Lt. Robert Stroess, a DNR warden who heads trade enforcement for commercial fishing, said in a statement the species are on top of the state’s “Least Wanted” list because they destroy the habitats of native fish.
Wisconsin and neighboring state laws require these invasive carp, which can survive for more than a day out of water, to be gutted or have the gill coverings severed to ensure they are dead.
“The laws around the Great Lakes states are in place to minimize the threat of these species finding their way into new waterways at the hands of humans,” Stroess said. “The laws serve as important protections for our native Wisconsin fish.”
The DNR began investigating Li, owner of Li Fish Farm LLC, based on a complaint that Asian Midway Foods in Madison was selling live carp.
Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell declined to dismiss the case, ruling that Prehn is in fact a government authority and his communications are subject to public records law.
According to the complaint, Li illegally sold more than 9,000 pounds of carp — much of it intact — in 2018 alone. Stroess said his use of an unmarked van made it more difficult to identify it as a wholesale fish delivery vehicle.
Invasive carp have been advancing north since escaping into the Mississippi River from southern fish farms in the 1970s. In some fisheries they account for more than 90% of the living organisms.
Bighead carp are considered a threat to the $7 billion Great Lakes fishing industry. Silver carp, which can weigh up to 60 pounds, are known for leaping out of the water, creating a hazard for boaters.
Workers with Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese package up fresh balls of mozzarella last week.
Brian Crave of Crave Brothers Cheese works on the production floor of the business in Portland, Wis., Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese began making cheese in 2002 as a way to add value to milk produced across the road at Crave Brothers Farm. The vast majority of the milk from the farm's 2,000 Holsteins is used at the cheese plant.
Fresh cheddar cheese curds produced by Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese near Waterloo are immediately packaged so they can be quickly placed on store counters at area retailers. The company also sells bulk cheese curds to private label companies.
Brian Crave of Crave Brothers Cheese displays selections of the company’s products in Portland, Wis., Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Workers with Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese process fresh balls of mozzarella cheese last week. The cheese has been a consistent winner at cheese contests around the state and country and will compete for more awards this week at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison.
Workers at Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese near Waterloo tend a vat of fresh cheddar cheese curds last week. Milk used to make the curds comes directly from the neighboring Crave Brothers Farm and has led to award-winning cheeses for the company, which has been making cheese for 20 years and is a regular entrant in the World Championship Cheese Contest.
A single farmhand can milk 60 cows in 10 minutes at Crave Brothers Farm, thanks to a largely automated, rotary milking parlor that uses robots and machines that decouple from the cow when it senses a cow is done milking.
Brian Crave, a licensed cheesemaker at Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese near Waterloo, adds fresh mozzarella cheese curd to a machine that stretches and forms the cheese into balls that are packaged into plastic tubs for retail sale. Mozzarella has been an award-winning staple at the cheese plant for 20 years.
Mark Crave, one of the managing partners of Crave Brothers Farm, watches some of his 2,000 cows during the milking process last week near Waterloo. The $2.2 million rotary milking parlor installed in 2021 means less labor and happier cows, which combine to produce about 45 million pounds of milk a year.
The caprese has Crave Brothers mozzarella, pesto, tomato and a balsamic glaze.
Industry Stop 2 is at Crave Brothers Farm.
With assistance from UW-Madison's Center for Dairy Research, George Crave, pictured here in a 2002 file photo, learned to make cheese.
George Crave, President-Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Bill Marty, Owner-Earth Fresh Acres, Jason Dunn, Chef- Lewis Station Winery. Rob Lewis, Owner and Wine Maker- Lewis Station Winery pose with the record-breaking salad.
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese's Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Balls won Best of Show at the 2015 Dodge County Fair.
The Bistro at Lewis Station Winery in Lake Mill serves Caprese Cocktail -- a version of the classic salad, served in stemmed glassware -- made with Crave Brothers fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh herbs with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
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Covers energy and the environment for the Wisconsin State Journal. Rhymes with Lubbock. Contact him at 608-252-6146.
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Mark Martin and Sue Foote-Martin have worked for more than four decades to protect, restore and share their passion for Wisconsin wildlife.
The state Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services are advising anglers to limit consumption of brown trout from the popular stream in western Dane County.
There was no discussion of new or modified limits for about two dozen other substances, including Trichloroethylene, a common dry cleaning chemical known as TCE, and chromium-6, a carcinogen made famous by Erin Brockovich.
Department of Natural Resources wardens used undercover work, surveillance and GPS trackers to crack the case, which they say stemmed from the sale of thousands of pounds of fish that can survive for days out of water.
In a case that tests the balance of power between the governor and Legislature and could influence environmental policy for years to come, the Attorney General is trying to remove Fred Prehn from the Natural Resources Board.
Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill., in 2019. A Platteville fish dealer has been convicted of illegally selling the destructive invasive species, which can survive for more than a day out of water.
Asian carp -- from top, silver, bighead, and grass -- photographed at a Springfield, Ill., fish market. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the invasive species are atop the state's "Least Wanted" list.
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