Sustainable Seafood Advocates Say: Eat Lionfish!
The Washington Post says environmentalists and culinary enthusiasts agree: we should chow down on lionfish. It tastes good and we need to get rid of it, for the sake of coral reefs. The invasive species was moved from the western Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic near Florida in the 1980s, where it became a top predator, feeding on Grouper and Snapper. Lionfish populations in the south Atlantic grew by 700% from 2004 to 2008, and it looks like it’s going to spread, destroying ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico (if the oil spill doesn’t beat it to the punch).
So what’s the only predator higher on the food chain than this venomous fish? Homo Sapiens, of course. But just because you’re saving the environment doesn’t mean your food can’t taste great! Seafood distributer Sean Dimin says “this fish is delicious.” Chef Teddy Diggs sauteed lionfish in brown butter, drizzled it with vinegar, and served it over greens.
If you can, get in on this trend and help out the Atlantic ecosystems (Fish2Fork has other tips on eating sustainable seafood). It can be a healthy move, too: fish are high in healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Bon appetit!
