Eating Aliens?

http://grist.org/food/the-ultimate-guilt-free-diet-hunting-invasive-species/

Check out the article above. It is about Jackson Landers new book, a chronicle of his experience hunting and eating invasive species. I'd like to hear from the full time vegetarians in our class about their thoughts on his theory.

Invasive species are a huge, but largely unrecognized, problem. Landers believes that hunting allows you to escape the mainstream meat production system and that hunting alien species could be a viable solution to invasive take-over.

I'm keen on his idea. Although I don't think I will be munching on Emerald Ash Borer any time soon, I like the idea of managing invasives through responsible hunting. I think the public's growing interest in sustainable food options and reconnecting with their food would help create a market. It doesn't seem too far fetched to imagine Jackson Landers at a progressive farmers market...

I'm pretty squeemish when it comes to dissections and killing animals in the name of science. It's part of why I never considered being premed. But, when I was in Australia, I caught and dissected over 50 Cane Toads and felt very little remorse. Cane Toads are the classic example of invasive species. They were brought over as a means of controlling beetles in sugar cane fields but now are one of the most destructive alien species in Australia. They disrupt food chains and are toxic to a number of native species. It seems like my qualms about killing animals was mediated by the benefits of removing the toad from the ecosystem. In a way, it's sort of a utilitarian justification.

I'm not sure if Landers would agree with me, but I think that's why I like his idea. The utilitarian approach really appeals to me and as Landers points out, this could be a viable alternative to vegetarianism for people who really do enjoy eating meat.