A Wave of Opportunity
Today’s seafood is bringing a new balance and opportunity to menus. Innovative combinations, global flavors, and extended species have positioned seafood in a new light. Adding to well-known varieties of this premium protein is invasive seafood. In particular, an invasive species of fish is one introduced into an environment and negatively alters it causing ecological, environmental, and often economic damage.
A Lion of a Fish
Lionfish native to warm, tropical waters, is one of many invasive fish species. No one was paying attention to the beautiful but ominous-looking lionfish until a population explosion in the early 2000s. By that time lionfish were steadily eating all the other reef fish, some into extinction. Their ability to consume more than 100 species of fish, competing for food against native species such as grouper and snapper, make them one of the top predators of Atlantic reefs. It’s feeding on native fish communities has damaged biodiversity and coral reef recovery throughout the Atlantic Ocean impacting more than one marine sanctuary.
Blue Whiskered Warriors
The Blue Catfish from the Chesapeake Bay region is affordable, delicious but like the lionfish, an invasive seafood. The fish is indigenous to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio river basins. Blue catfish swam into several rivers on the western shore of Virginia decades ago. It was thought these fish, like other freshwater, would stay in those rivers. But blue Catfish eat everything, including blue crabs and other fish large, and small.
Many fishermen today are keeping invasive fish species instead of killing them and throwing them back into the water. Chefs are buying them and offering invasive seafood on menus as daily specials and selling out! Seafood lovers love to try new species especially with a story behind it. Servers will have something new to talk about too. Eating one species to save another. What could be better!
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Eat Well,
Susanne Bukey
Susanne Bukey
After graduating from Framingham State College with a B.S. in Home Economics, Susanne worked in Product Development for Ground Round Restaurants, then restaurant consulting in the Boston area. Susanne worked on public relations, new concepts, and promotional menu development for Darden restaurants prior to joining the team. Susanne’s current focus is on print media analysis and overseeing the editorial staff for online communications.