08/05/2023
Cal-IPC in the news: Can we really eliminate invasive species by eating them? "Invasivorism" has a long history, but has mixed success. On the East Coast, folks are eating invasive European green crabs, a population that has exploded as ocean waters warm up due to climate change. The hope is to shift demand from other species that are overfished while also helping to reduce invasive populations.
Cal-IPC's Jutta Burger was asked for her take on eating as an effective control method for the superbloom of wild mustard in Southern California. In many ways, invasive plants are even harder to eradicate than invasive animals. “One of the reasons that it’s not likely to be effective as a control method is because the goals of harvesting for foods are very different from treating or removing plants from an area,” Burger explains. “When you do the latter, you have to remove everything, the crappy plants with mold on it, as well as the one in the perfect stage for harvest. If you’re going out to make a fine, gourmet meal, you’re going to look for the best parts of that plant. You’re going to be selective in what you collect, and that selectivity itself makes the harvesting ineffective for controlling a plant.”
And other experts agree: Eating invasive species isn’t going to solve the issue. For starters, only a fraction of those species are safe for humans to eat. It’s also unrealistic to expect consumers to eat every single last green crab, lionfish or periwinkle. But finding another purpose for invasives is better than just leaving them to wreak havoc.
Article in Food Print: https://foodprint.org/blog/invasive-species/
Image description: A single stalk of wild mustard with small yellow flowers stand higher than others in a blurry field of yellow mustard stretching away into the distance. Photo by Mark/Adobe Stock.
