Now you can do your part to fight the invasive lionfish—by ordering a delectable dish from a dinner menu. Divers and chefs are promoting a gastronomical way to control the venomous lionfish population in Florida’s coastal waters by introducing the invasive species to the American palate. The non-native lionfish lacks natural predators and is harming native wildlife and habitat. But Pot Roast & Pinot in Pensacola, Florida, is just one restaurant that has found the fish to be tasty enough to add to its menu. The restaurant has partnered with licensed harvesters who can capture hundreds of pounds of lionfish in one dive. The hope is to create a viable commercial industry and save Florida’s marine environment by eradicating the lionfish population one bite at a time.
Read “Lionfish May Finally Meet Its Match: The Seafood Aisle” by April Fulton.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/06/lionfish-may-finally-meet-their-match
Learn more about lionfish:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/lionfish/
FIELD PRODUCER/VIDEOGRAPHER: Joe Kistel
SPECIAL THANKS: Pot Roast & Pinot, Edible Invaders, Niuhi Dive Charters, Dive Talking, Grayson Shepard, Alex Fogg