Canadian company marketing dog food made from invasive Asian carp

A Canadian company has launched a new dog food product that provides pooches with protein while removing an invasive species from North American waterways.

Wilder Harrier already has its Asian carp dog food on shelves in pet food stores in Quebec, and the Montreal-based company plans to make it available elsewhere in Canada starting in January. It’s also available online at Wilder Harrier’s website.

The company works with fishermen who harvest the fish from waterways in the U.S. Midwest and South, where Asian carp have become a highly destructive invasive species.  Originally brought to the U.S. more than four decades ago to help control algae blooms in private ponds, the fish eventually found its way into rivers and streams through flooding and other events, jeopardizing native fish and plants found in those waterways.

Now, fishermen and state officials throughout the Mississippi River region are working to keep Asian carp from spreading elsewhere, including the Great Lakes. Just last month, Tennessee formed a state commission to find ways to keep it from entering its rivers and streams. Kentucky has also launched a public-private partnership to harvest and sell Asian carp caught in the state’s western waters.

By working with U.S. fishermen, Wilder Harrier said it is doing its part to keep Asian carp from reaching Canadian waters.

"We're proud of providing dog owners with an eco-friendly alternative. From now on, they'll be able to ensure the well-being of their faithful companions while taking action for the environment," Wilder Harrier Co-Founder Phil Poirier said in a statement.

Online, a two-kilogram bag sells for CAD 30.00 (USD 23.09, EUR 19.53) and five-kilogram bag sells regularly for CAD 69.99 (USD 53.87, EUR 45.57).

Wilder Harrier also sells other dog food and treats using unconventional protein sources, including insects and seaweed.

The company isn’t the only pet food developer that has invested in marketing Asian carp-based products. Last year, Purina launched a pilot program selling Asian carp dog food under its niche RootLab brand.

Photo courtesy of Wilder Harrier