New Lionfish cookbook provides tasty incentive for scuba divers

Scott Jones -

The lionfish invasion continues in the Caribbean and Florida Keys. The spread of the invasive lionfish has been well chronicled here and in other media outlets. Now, one organization has taken the battle to a completely new level!

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) announces the release of “The Lionfish Cookbook”, a collection of 45 delicious recipes designed to encourage the removal and consumption of invasive lionfish in the Atlantic. Lionfish have a delicate, mild-flavored, white meat and are considered a delicacy.

Red Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific, are the first non-native marine fish to successfully invade Atlantic waters.  Lionfish densities in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and the East Coast of the United States are on the rise due to their lack of predators and prolific, year-round reproduction.  Thriving lionfish populations pose a serious risk to marine ecosystems through their predation on native marine life including both commercially and ecologically important species.

“Many countries are encouraging consumption of lionfish to create demand and incentive for lionfish removals.” says Lad Akins of REEF.

“The Lionfish Cookbook makes a great gift because it not only offers great recipes, but also gives detailed information on the background of the invasion, lionfish biology/ecology and impacts, and how to effectively collect and handle lionfish.”

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