The next time you want to help out Hawai'i's amazing ecosystem, how about you do so with a delicious meal?
In a popular video, fishing TikToker fishngrillz (@fishngrillz) shows exactly how to accomplish both feats by cooking up an invasive species. In this case, it's a blacktail snapper, also known as to'au.
"It's an invasive fish to the Hawaiian Islands, but it tastes great," he says.
@fishngrillz Catch and cook invasive fish toau! #hawaiilife #hawaiitiktok #spearfishing #catchandcook #freshfish #seafoodie #bbqfish #grillingseason ♬ original sound - fishngrillz
According to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, to'au are native to French Polynesia. They were introduced to Hawaii in the late 1950s as part of a statewide fishery-enhancement program that saw a dozen species of fish released in the islands.
Three of the species, including to'au, have become invasive and could pose a threat to other local Hawaiian wildlife. Invasive species often outcompete native plants and species for resources and can reproduce quickly.
Preparing the fish is simple, according to the video. The full fish gets scored, seasoned with salt and sesame oil, and grilled. After cooking, it's topped with a hot oil that contains cilantro, garlic, and ginger, and served with rice.
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"Such a great fish," he says, after trying a bite. "Go out there and try it yourself."
As strange as it may seem, eating invasive species is actually a highly recommended method of helping to curb their growth within ecosystems. There's even a growing movement behind this called "invasivorism."
In Canada, a social media post showed how to cook the invasive rainbow smelt, with the creator encouraging viewers to "eat your enemies." Another invasive fish, the Chesapeake channa, was cooked up in a popular TikTok video, and in Mississippi, government officials have encouraged residents to eat all sorts of invasive species, from nutria to wild boar.
The to'au hasn't been introduced to any of those areas, but it is common enough in Hawai'i that many commenters on fishngrillz's video seemed ready to cook some up for dinner.
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"Underrated species," one commenter wrote. "I love 'em!"
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