A Menu of Invasive Species
One approach to dealing with unwanted plants and animals: Eat them.
Across America, feral pigs are on the rampage, wrecking fields of crops, hunting local wildlife to extinction, and even attacking humans. In the United Kingdom, Japanese knotweed is taking over the landscape: Banks deny mortgages to infested properties, and the government regulates its disposal with the same precautions it takes for low-level nuclear waste. Humans are to blame—we introduced invasive species such as these to their new homes. But some conservation biologists and chefs think that humans can also be the solution: by eating the invaders. Are we ready for a menu of Asian shore crab and bullfrogs—and can our appetites really make a difference, or might the approach lead to unforeseen consequences? This episode, we forage an invasive menu with the chef Bun Lai and then argue the case with the conservation biologists Joe Roman and Sara Kuebbing. Listen in now!
This post appears courtesy of Gastropod.