Chinese American businesswoman transforms invasive species into valuable goods

When Angie Yu first went to Kentucky, the United States, in 2013 to turn invasive Asian carp into a profitable business, she had been planning to return to her Los Angeles home after five years.

She settled in Wickliff, a small town with a population of 700. Yu established Two Rivers Fisheries along with her husband, and became the first and only Chinese family to live there.

Asian carp, which was imported into the US in the 1970s to clean algae in commercial ponds, later spilled into the freshwater system. It thrived so well that some fish would leap out of the water and into people's boats. However, the carp then crowded out native species and upset the ecological balance.

People in the US don't typically eat Asian carp because there is no tradition of it. On top of that, the numerous bones typical in Asian carp make processing difficult.

Yu, who had experience turning unwanted fish parts into useful products, decided to bring Asian carp to customers outside the US who view it as a prized protein source.

She started from scratch by first recruiting fishermen to catch the carp. She then learned how to get support from local governments and worked with them. Yu also explored how to process the fish.

Six years later, in 2019, Yu launched the 26-hectare International Fisheries Industrial Park in Kentucky's Ballard County. She attracted seven investors — mostly from China — who processed the fish into food, fertilizer and dog treats.

Every part of the fish is used based on her principle to "reduce, reuse, redefine" the invasive species. Her Two Rivers Fisheries functioned to purchase carp from fishermen and conduct the initial process.

In 2019, her company had grown to process more than 3 million kilograms of carp and became the largest fish exporter in the state. With a complete value chain in place, Yu believed her mission was close to being accomplished, and she would soon move back to Los Angeles.