When I read in the newspapers that the spiny, venomous and predatory lionfish was spotted in Tobago waters, I thought that was an amazing discovery because I was under the impression that only leopards and dalmatians were spotted. While pirates of the Caribbean were a scourge in the past, the colourful, barbed and poisonous lionfish are the new invaders threatening to displace and decimate local species of marine life in the region with their voracious appetite for destruction. This dangerous denizen of the deep originated in the Indian and Pacific oceans and is known by several names such as tiger fish, dragon fish, fire fish and scorpion fish.
The lionfish's design appears as if it was engineered to be a predator, thriving in territory it occupies, reaching around 18 inches in length. Its brightly striped body bristling with poison-tipped spines is a formidable threat. A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and can cause nausea and breathing difficulties, but is rarely fatal. It has no natural predators and it is a prolific breeder. A female can produce 30,000 eggs every four days and hatchlings become sexually mature in about one year. One solution to the terror of the seas is to eat the enemy. Kill it and grill it, hook and cook, turn the piscatorial predator into a palatable plate of pulchritude and terminate and sauté with extreme zealousness. When marine experts, Dr Kenny Broad, an associate professor in the Division of Marine Affairs and Policy at the University of Miami, USA, and National Geographic explorer Alexandra Cousteau were in the country last year, they said the lionfish was tasty to eat.
Lionfish is on the menu in several countries such as the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic and Mexico. There is even a Lionfish cookbook out filled with recipes on how to serve up the marine marauder as exotic and palatable protein. With a little culinary ingenuity the creature can be transformed into gourmet cuisine-from lethal lionfish to delectable dish. And we can put our own unique Trinbagonian spin to preparing lionfish-lionfish sushi, lionfish ceviche, lionfish broth, lionfish and chips, curried lionfish, stewed lionfish and macaroni pie, bake and lionfish with garlic sauce, lionfish pie, sweet and sour lionfish, lionfish and pacro water. Conch and oyster vendors can make room on their stalls to sell shots of the lionfish with their sauces. Even the spines of the lionfish can be put to good use as exotic and beautiful skewers and toothpicks. I would also like to contribute my idea that would stop the lionfish dead in its tracks, where it would meet its Waterloo in a frying pan or wok in T&T.
First you must have an understanding of how the T&T male psyche works. All the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and the Department of Marine Resources and Fisheries of the Tobago House of Assembly have to do is announce that the lionfish is an aphrodisiac, put a bounty on its head and it will be hunted down faster than a certain crime programme media-hound eager for the spotlight. By so doing I predict every amateur, recreational and professional diver, fisherman, chef, businessman and T&T male, eager to enhance his libido will be going after this fish. I am willing to do my small part in keeping the marine menace in check by breaking out my fishing rods nicknamed Michael Jackson, Little Boy, Death From Above, Whistling Death and Big Boy and add some lionfish notches to them.
When another invasive alien species, the Asian carp reached the US, they began reproducing like crazy and edging out the local fish species along the way. The sport of extreme aerial bowfishing-shooting fish with a bow and arrow-was developed to take advantage of the Asian carp's leaping ability. Bowfishing tournaments are now held regularly on the Illinois River. Now if only some mad scientists can tinker with creating a Frankenfish and cross the lionfish with a tarpon, an Asian carp for their tremendous leaping ability, to create a super sport fish... They say the lionfish tastes like grouper or snapper. That is one more white meat to try. As Andrew Zimmern, the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods programme would say: "If it looks good, eat it!"
