Lionfish and Our Oil Spill

Michael traveled this weekend to the Smthsonian Institute’s Savoring Sustainable Seafood event in Washington, DC. Among the 30 Top Chefs was our chef/partner Barton Seaver serving ‘Lionfish Ceviche with Almonds and Endive’.

Lionfish are an invasive species with spectacular plumage and voracious appetites. First noticed in the early 1990′s they now dominating coral reefs from the Carolinas to the Southern Caribbean. Lionfish appear to only have one weakness; they are delicious to eat. For the past year Sea to Table has been working with NOAA developing an innovative program called Eat Lionfish. NOAA scientists are working hard on methods of catching these elusive fish. Creating new markets for fishing villages and clearing the reefs of this predator is a solution we want to be part of.

The epic nature of the Gulf Spill grows daily. The damage to the environment as well as the fishing communities will be generations long. We agree with our friends Carl Safina and Kate McLaughlin of the Blue Ocean Institute when they say “it’s not the Gulf oil spill, it’s the U.S. oil spill, it’s our oil spill.”

Thankfully we are blessed with beautiful seafood to ship from other fisheries.