Can We Manage Invasive Species Through Delectable Cuisine?
Exponent Managing Scientist Andy Deines, Ph.D., recently collaborated with colleagues in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and academia to co-author a commentary titled "Developing a recipe for success" in the journal Food, Culture & Society.
"Can consumption of nonnative invasive species (NIS) contribute to their management and eradication?"
It's the key question of the publication, a practice also known as "harvest-based NIS management." The authors consider the opportunity for partnerships between academics, natural resource managers, chefs, and other "culinary cultural gatekeepers" to reduce the environmental impact of NIS through invasive species gastronomy.
In simple terms, the co-authors weigh the ecological and social value and risks of invasive species such as lionfish, Asian shore crabs, and wild boar, among others, being cooked into restaurant-quality meals. The authors published their recent commentary as a response to a previous 2021 article in the same journal, "Eating invasives: chefs as an avenue to control through consumption."
