In Bermuda, an annual competition is helping raise awareness about an invasive species by turning it into delicious meals.
The second Eat'Um to Beat'Um Lionfish Chowder Competition in March featured restaurants trying to outdo each other with their spins on the national dish of fish chowder, which is more typically made with rockfish or grouper heads, The Royal Gazette reported.
As the outlet detailed, lionfish invaded the island 25 years ago. They prey on 70-plus fish and crustaceans and reproduce rapidly because they have no natural predators in the North Atlantic Ocean, throwing the reef ecosystems around the British territory into disarray.
"Lionfish are venomous, not poisonous, meaning the toxin is only present on some of their spines," the Bermuda Zoological Society, which created the contest, told the Gazette. "Thankfully, their meat is delicious and provides a good opportunity to help keep them under control.
"Eat'Um to Beat'Um events are designed to expose the public to lionfish as a delicious food fish and to help create more demand for them."
The Bermuda Lionfish Task Force put together a control plan more than a decade ago, noting lionfish were jeopardizing the country's commercial fishing industry, tourism industry, and "other sectors of the economy." The creatures also create a public health risk with 18 venomous spines.
To eradicate them would be "impossible," so the group focused on managing the population to avoid a domino effect of negatives: If the lionfish eliminate a native species, such as parrotfish, the algae the latter feed on could run rampant, destroying the natural features that make Bermuda so attractive.
The report cited a lack of community awareness about the issue and potential related problems as barriers to control. Efforts to change that have seemingly worked.
Female lionfish lay 2 million eggs each year, producing offspring every 3-4 days. The species' spread from off the coast of Florida in 1985 to almost everywhere along the eastern seaboard as well as in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea has made them a target. There are designer lionfish handbags and at least one lionfish derby that hands out thousands of dollars in prize money.
In Bermuda, it's all about the chowder cook-off.
"It's become a really popular event and a fun way that we can educate people about the lionfish and encourage people to eat them," said Ian Walker, principal curator of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, which hosted the competition. "There's a dedicated team of fishermen who are going out in all weathers catching lionfish to help reduce their numbers.
"In the case of lionfish, overfishing is actually a good thing."
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