Invasive species can be devastating to a local ecosystem. That is why so much work is put into keeping new species out of an area by making laws regulating imports, farming, pets, and other things that could lead to unwanted animals getting out in the wild.

Unfortunately, according to the US Department of Agriculture, there are more than 6500 invasive species already in the United States.

Efforts to capture or kill invasive species are often quite extensive. The goal is to eliminate them entirely, but a more practical goal is to just keep their numbers as low as possible to minimize their impact on the local environment.

There are many different things that can help to get rid of different types of invasive species. Some of them, such as poisoning, encouraging natural predators, and implementing physical barriers to keep them contained should only be done by experts or large landowners in conjunction with experts.

For other things, everyone can help. In fact, it may be possible to control certain invasive species by engaging in an activity that millions of people enjoy anyway.

Hunting or fishing (and eating) these animals can be a great way to keep them under control. The US Fish and Wildlife Service even posted the following on their X account:

“Eat Me! Please? I’m invasive and delicious. It’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week and this year, please consider the following slogan “Save a Swamp, Saute a Nutria.”

This was with a picture of a Nutria, which is an invasive rat-like animal that is native to South America. These large rodents were brought into the US for their fur generations ago, but escaped or were released into the wild and have been destroying wetlands ever since. (If you’re wondering, they say that Nutria tastes like rabbit.

In Florida, conservationists have taken to calling iguanas the ‘Chicken of the Trees’ to try to encourage people to capture and consume them.

In the oceans around Florida and other southern states, the invasive lionfish is being captured and served up at restaurants. However, if you choose to try to go after lionfish, make sure to remove their venomous spines first. This effort has even spawned very popular ‘influencers‘ who make videos where they spearfish the lionfish and donate the larger ones to local restaurants. You can see one of their popular videos here:

So, if you love hunting, fishing, or trapping, check out your local laws and learn about what types of invasive species are the biggest threats. From there, get out in nature and help contribute to the fight against invasive species.

Not gonna lie… those Nutria sound delicious.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a quantum computer simulation that has “reversed time” and physics may never be the same.