Pick the Alien
Learn how the protection of marine ecosystems starts from your plate!
Our seafood choices may be part of the solution for the protection of marine ecosystems!
What we have achieved so far
In the context of the project “Pick the Alien”, more than 7.000 consumers in Thessaloniki, Athens, Crete, Cyclades, Dodecanese and the Argolic Gulf have been informed about the effects and consequences of alien species while they had the chance to taste and rate the gustatory value of edible alien species. Additionally, we collaborated with more than 70 chefs all over Greece in order to create tasty recipes with basic ingredients edible alien species. The recipes can be found in the book “Invading your kitchen” at the Informative Material section.
Our actions and goals
Since 2022 the project has expanded, including multiple actions in a national scale. Our goal is to promote the consumption of edible alien species, combined with the replacement of commercial indigenous species whose populations are reduced through the establishment of an Alliance between all involved stakeholders (fishers, fish shops, restaurants) which can ultimately enhance our efforts.
In the context of the project the following actions are implemented:
All actions will contribute to the creation of a strong alliance between all stakeholders with the aim of promoting responsible seafood consumption and the replacement of native species and especially apex predators, such as the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) with edible alien species contributing to the protection of the marine environment.
Discover restaurants, fishmongers and fishers where you can find edible alien species!
Few words about alien species
Marine alien or non-indigenous species are organisms that are introduced as a result of human activities into novel ecosystems that extend beyond their natural range. About 1,000 marine alien species have already been identified in the Mediterranean and more than 240 have been recorded in the Greek seas. Their effects on the marine environment are numerous and include the displacement of native species and the altering of the ecosystem services. At the same time, the social and economic consequences induced are becoming increasingly perceivable/felt mainly in sectors such as fisheries and tourism, while many alien species pose a threat to human health.
Apex predators and over-exploitation of fishery resources
Apex predators play a crucial role in the health and the stability of marine ecosystems, as they act as regulators for the population of species belonging to lower trophic levels. Their absence or major reduction in their population can cause significant changes in food webs with consequences for both local ecosystems and human activities that can not be predicted. The Mediterranean is one of the most overfished areas in the world, where most fish stocks are overexploited, while the population of many higher predators (such as groupers, swordfish, sharks, etc.) has decreased dramatically causing important changes in the food web. Thus, the Mediterranean population of species such as the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), the common dentex (Dentex dentex), and the brown meagre (Sciaena umbra) are listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Threatened. Their population reduction, among other things, results in facilitating the spread of alien and invasive species, as there is less competition for the available resources and a lower possibility of predation for the alien species.
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Collaborators
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