Eating invasive species news and notes from around the internet!

• Bizarre Foods expert Andrew Zimmern talks eating invasive species in an interview with NPR
• The Queen will soon dine on sea lamprey pie
• High school students in Michigan learn about invasions while cooking Asian carp
• CNN reports on eating lionfish in Florida
• Controversy over the feral swine legislation in Michigan
• Invasive species alert: an early spring means now is a great time to get out and harvest garlic mustard
• Rock snot discovered in the Delaware River- does anyone know if it’s edible?

The Weekly Invasivore Round-up compiles our favorite news and blogoshpere items from the week which we think are relevant to Eating Invasive Species. This week: Google recipes, Asian Carp, Rock Snot, attack strategies,  lionfish, nutria, snakehead and more.

Pick of the Week

Google launches new recipe search!

Saturday Feb 19

Rockford doctor’s business fights Asian carp invasion

As feed for animals and humans, and a source for omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil.

Sunday, Feb 20

‘Rock Snot’ Algae, Didymosphenia Geminata, Leads Maryland To Ban Felt Fishing Boots

Maryland becomes the first state to ban felt-bottomed fishing waiters, which contribute to the spread of the edible, if slimy, “rock snot” Didymosphenia geminate.

Tuesday, Feb 22

Invasive Species Control Strategies – Avoiding the Whac-A-Mole Approach

Ecologist Chris Helzer provides some strategy suggestions on the best ways to approach harvest and destruction of invasive prairie plants.

Thursday, Feb 24

Lionfish on the Loose

Defenders of Wildlife are an amazing advocate for native plants and animals in the face of invasions.  It’s good to see them onto Lionfish derbies.

Google blends recipes into search menu

Is Google invasive?  Maybe a little, but it’s definitely becoming more edible.  They’ve launched a recipe search!

Friday, Feb 25

Coping With Florida’s Invasive Species

Lionfish.  The “popular” edible invader, but there’s plenty other tasty invaders out there.

Invasive Animals Continue to Thrive in Maryland

And many are of course, edible.

The Weekly Invasivore Round-up compiles our favorite news and blogoshpere items from the week which we think are relevant to Eating Invasive Species. This week is tallow tree, turtles & frogs, more lionfish, Hawaii, crayfish and rock-snot. Invasivore.org even gets a shout-out.

Saturday, Feb 12

Laura Christman: Mellow tallow has a sinister side

The Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) is noxious in much of the southern US, but the waxy seed oil can be extracted and used for cooking, soap, and biodiesel.  The leaves may be toxic.

Monday, Feb 14

Eating Frogs and Turtles in California Just Got Easier

California has repealed recent restrictions on importing and selling live animals for human consumption, sometimes resulting in release.  The repeal comes after accusations that the restrictions where racially motivated.  That point is moot however, as the “american” culture imports invasive species left and right, with a very antiquated federal “Lacey Law”, and major trades in reptiles, plants and fish. At least when these turtles etc. do escape into the wild, we know we can eat them.

Tuesday, Feb 15

Local Chefs Do Their Part to Fight Lionfish Invasion

See our lionfish profile for more lionfish.

Wednesday, Feb 16

Hawaiian Biodiversity Loss Driven by Feral Ungulates

“…populations must be managed and controlled at a rate faster than they can reproduce.”

Thursday, Feb 17

Invasive Crayfish May Be Class Pets First

Well, Oregon, this coming week is crayfish week, so listen up.  It’s hard not to wonder if these new invasions aren’t a sign of declining science in public schools.  Instead, it’s actually increasing hands-on science education that lead to this problem which has become an excellent, and potentially delicious, “teaching moment”.

Friday, Feb 18

Invasive Species Threatens Missouri Streams

It’s “rock-snot” or “Didymo” (Didymosphenia geminate) .  But it’s edible, according to grist.

Saturday, Feb 19

Entomophagy, invasivors, and foragers … oh my!

Omnivore, locavore, invasivore: Lenten supper alternatives