Scientists propose bold solution to rampant invasive species crisis: 'Lean, mild, and tastes like rabbit'

Experts are calling on people in Mississippi to eat non-native fish and boar to balance the ecosystem.

As the Clarion Ledger reported, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Forestry, and Parks want locals to learn how to identify native species and protect them by eating invasive ones.

One recommendation is to eat nutria, a large South American rodent that burrows in the Gulf Coast, Atlantic Coast, and Pacific Northwest. It is "lean, mild, and tastes like rabbit," according to the FWS.

The Clarion Ledger reported that the FWS also thinks people may enjoy the "firm, white, and flaky meat" of the northern snakehead fish from East Asia that now lives in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Other non-native fish include carp species "wreaking havoc on our fisheries" that are "surprisingly tasty."

Roasting feral hogs or wild boar can satisfy pulled pork cravings while preventing crop destruction. The meat is "leaner and richer in flavor than store-bought pork," according to the FWS.

When the ecosystem gets out of balance due to invasive species, native animals can struggle to feed themselves, leading to endangerment. Invasive fish overfeeding on smaller fish can drastically reduce the prey available to local fish. When wild boar destroy crops by consuming or trampling them, there are fewer plants for herbivores such as deer or rabbits and pollinators to rely on.

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Such extensive crop losses hurt the economy. Feral swine cause as much as $2.5 billion in annual damage to U.S. agriculture, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The loss of native animals and plants also harms human households. If crop yields are reduced, people will be forced to pay more for groceries (and struggle to find certain ones) because of food shortages.

In addition to eating invasive fish and boar, people can help by eating certain invasive plant species, which are also good for a healthy diet. One edible invasive plant is the Japanese honeysuckle.

Maryland residents can catch and eat blue catfish. Meanwhile, Texans are encouraged to feast on lionfish. Californians can eat pikeminnow eel and even compete for prizes in the Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby.