St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension
8400 Picos Road, Suite 101
Fort Pierce, FL 34945
Tel: 772-462-1660
Fax: 772-462-1510
http://stlucie.ifas.ufl.edu                                          

Contact:            Ken Gioeli, 772-462-1660
Released:          July 2, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

FLORIDA SEA GRANT ADVISES AGAINST CONSUMPTION OF LIONFISH

 

The University of Florida/IFAS St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension has received an update from Florida Sea Grant on food safety concerns and the consumption of invasive lionfish.  Lionfish are of particular concern because they are becoming increasingly common in the Treasure Coast.  Researchers have found that on experimental reefs, lionfish can decrease the recruitment of juvenile reef fish by almost 80 percent.  There has recently been increased discussion that innovative methods of controlling lionfish must be deployed.  Some of these discussions involve consumption of lionfish as a method to reduce lionfish populations.

Research has shown that lionfish harvested in Florida’s waterways might harbor toxins which cause a food-borne illness called ciguatera.  These toxins are produced by microbes and are not broken down by conventional cooking of the meat.

The official Florida Sea Grant statement to Extension Agents on this issue is below:

…the finding of the FDA is that ‘of 194 fish tested, 42 percent showed detectable levels of ciguatoxin and 26 percent were above the FDA’s illness threshold of 0.1 parts per billion.’

Despite the fact that NOAA has an ongoing program to teach people how to catch and cook lionfish, given this new information, under no circumstances should any person affiliated with Florida Sea Grant advocate consuming these fish, regardless of the location from which they are taken.  If someone tells you it is OK to eat lionfish, tell them that the latest FDA science indicates that there is a significant risk, and we recommend that they DO NOT eat them.

For additional information, please contact Natural Resource Extension Agent Ken Gioeli at  772-462-1660 or UF Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition Steve Otwell 352-392-4221.

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 Erick Gill
Public Information Officer
St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners
2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, Fla. 34982
www.stlucieco.gov
772-462-1791 (office)
772-342-6014 (cell)

 

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