Florida wildlife officials are inviting Franklin county residents to take part in an informal workshop to learn more about combatting the invasive lionfish species currently threatening native wildlife. The Thursday event is part of the SciCafé series.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is partnering with the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve to put on the SciCafé workshop.
“And, we invite scientists or resource managers into a restaurant setting so that the atmosphere is laid back and relaxed. And, then we invite the general public to join us. And, then, they can get drinks or have a meal while they’re there. And, they just have a back and forth, conversation about a specific topic,” said Margo Posten with the reserve.
In this case, the topic is lionfish, and the free workshop will include a couple of speakers, like local fishing guide Grayson Shephard. And, cooked lionfish samples will also be provided for free.
“There is no natural predators. So, we’re trying to get the word out to everyone that we can just to fill them in on what’s happening out there, try to let people know that you can eat them. So, we’ll be showing people how to clean them because the spines on a lionfish are venomous,” she added.
Thursday’s workshop will be held at Tamara’s Tapas Bar and Grill in Apalachicola from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information, contact Posten at 850-670-7719.
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