Helmi Smeulders and Lisette Keus, two women based in Curaçao, have found a tasty solution in the fight against invasive lionfish impacting the country's coral reefs.
Smeulders is a chef, and she learned how to catch lionfish from Keus, a diver, according to the BBC. The two hunt lionfish, sell them to restaurants, and teach people the best recipes for cooking the fish. This preserves the native wildlife while dishing out delicious meals to the local community.
One of the restaurants serving the lionfish they catch is Keus' own, Lionfish Caribbean, in one of Willemstad's main shopping districts, serving small bites like lionfish tacos, fish and chips, and even sushi pizza. The shop also sells jewelry that its staff makes from lionfish fins and spikes.
Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific but began appearing in the Atlantic Ocean near the Caribbean in the early 2000s. The cause of this is unclear, but it is likely that they were released in the region by humans, according to the National Ocean Service.
Lionfish are venomous and known for their distinct brown, red, and white stripes. They can lay up to 50,000 eggs every three days, according to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This means they can quickly outnumber native species, many of which they eat.
Because lionfish eat smaller crustaceans and fish in the local ecosystem, the natural reefs are disrupted, which impacts the local economy. Curaçao has a prominent diving industry, but it has been threatened by the decimation of the reefs by the lionfish.
Smeulders and Keus explained their mission as such: "We eat them to beat them."
While people were hesitant about eating them because of their venomous spines, Keus made a case for eating lionfish by highlighting the animal's impact on the community.
"I explained that lionfish are an invasive species, so by cleaning it safely and serving it, they were actually helping to protect the local Curaçao ecosystem," she told the BBC.
Smeulders has not only impressed locals with her lionfish cuisine but also the King and Queen of the Netherlands. She served the royals when they took a trip to Curaçao in 2013.
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Absolutely 💯 In addition to using the meat, Smeulders and Keus have found ways to use the other parts of the fish to reduce the amount of waste in their practice. They have made jewelry out of the fins, toothpicks out of the spine, and stock out of the rest of the bones.
Taking action to preserve the climate in your local region can be energizing. While their work is fulfilling because it helps the environment, the women said they love the thrill, too.
"If you wake up and realize it's a day you get to go lionfish hunting, then it's definitely going to be a good day," Smeulders told the BBC.
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