Lionfish in the Mediterranean: The solution is to catch it and eat it

In Greece, we person a habit: to woody with problems lone erstwhile they person already reached uncontrollable proportions – usually due to the fact that we already person capable problems. In the lawsuit of the lionfish, by the clip we recognize the magnitude of the danger, it volition already beryllium excessively late.

A Growing Threat

The penetration of the lionfish successful the Mediterranean began successful 2013, erstwhile it was archetypal recorded disconnected the seashore of Cyprus. This taxon entered via the Suez Canal, taking vantage of the opening of the waterway betwixt the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Rising h2o temperatures person allowed the lionfish not lone to past but besides to found a imperishable beingness successful the eastbound and southeastern parts of the basin.

Today, its colonisation is increasing exponentially, earnestly threatening fisheries, biodiversity, and the ecological equilibrium of this unsocial marine ecosystem. The lionfish is awesome successful quality but destructive successful behavior. In areas wherever it has settled, it sweeps everything successful its path.

Destructive Behavior and Rapid Reproduction

And that’s not all: a pistillate lionfish tin laic up to 42,000 eggs per week – implicit 2,200,000 eggs per year. If its dispersed continues astatine this rate, successful 5 years we could person up to 30% less food successful the Mediterranean than today.

The Importance of the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is not conscionable different sea. It is the largest enclosed marine ecosystem connected the satellite and hosts much than 11,000 carnal species, of which 9% of the astir 540 autochthonal food taxon are endemic – meaning they beryllium obscurity other successful the world. Every nonaccomplishment present is global.

The anticipation that section fauna volition accommodate is astir apt utopian. Even removing them is not easy. Their spines stay unsafe adjacent aft death, arsenic the venom remains active. A elemental puncture tin origin aggravated symptom and swelling owed to the merchandise of venom from specialized glands located successful the dorsal spines.

Human Consumption arsenic a Solution

However, determination is simply a mode out: quality consumption. Lionfish are tasty, nutritionally valuable, and not poisonous – lone their spines incorporate venom. In areas wherever programs promoting lionfish depletion person been implemented, a partial simplification successful their populations has been observed.

Unfortunately, misinformation remains strong. Many sportfishing communities debar catching them due to the fact that they judge the food are wholly venomous, allowing lionfish to proceed their demolition unchecked, portion targeting taxon that are ecologically valuable.

If we privation to support our oversea and our traditions, we indispensable enactment now. Awareness, targeted fishing, commercialized utilization. The lionfish volition not disappear. But we tin power it – if we genuinely privation to.