Two Rivers Fisheries to buy Cairo property and process invasive carp on Mississippi River

A western Kentucky fish processing company is making plans to expand into southern Illinois.

State Senator Dale Fowler announced on Monday the signing of his Illinois Senate Bill 1068. The bill allows the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to sell a parcel of land in Alexander County to Two Rivers Fisheries.

The parcel adjacent to Cairo and Fort Defiance State Park includes just under an acre of property and an unused toll house. Two Rivers Fisheries plans on converting the building into an Asian carp processing facility employing about 20 employees. They already operate facilities in Wickliffe and Eddyville.

Fowler said that the location at the confluence of both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers is the perfect location to be able to utilize both waterways and help decrease the invasive carp population.

Angie Yu, founder of Two Rivers Fisheries, said it's a chance to indusrialize carp along the Mississippi River. The company markets the carp as Copi, and in items such as fish meatballs, fish dumplings, pet food and bait.

Two Rivers has operated in western Kentucky since 2012.

Pending an appraisal, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has 60 to process the sale of the property with the Alexander County Recorder’s Office.