Americans warned not to eat invasive mussel species

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

An invasive species of mussels has found its way to Wyoming, but seafood enthusiasts are being warned to steer clear or risk dangerous consequences.
More than 500,000 zebra mussels were discovered on a boat lift by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and, following swift and aggressive action to eradicate them, officials have warned Americans to avoid consuming them.
In early May, aquatic invasive species specialists worked with the WGFD Casper office to rid more than half a million of the mussels off of a boat that had been at the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area in South Dakota, Cowboy State Daily reported.
Specialist's scalded and killed the mussels with hot water and took every effort to ensure no zebra mussel DNA survived.
The distinct looking mussel, with tan stripes, more closely biologically resembles that of a clam, but their functions remain similar.
Zebra mussels are filter feeders, according to the National Park Service, and siphon particles of plankton from the water.
Yet, their fast reproduction rates and insatiable appetite can cause harm to waters and its native species if infestation is not prevented.
Zebra mussels of a large population can quickly eradicate almost all floating particles from a body of water, robbing food from species that feed on plankton and exposing prey in the clearer waters.
Once an infestation occurs, there is little to be done, therefore officials focus heavily on preventative action to avoid infested waters.
Cheyenne chef Petrina Peart told Cowboy State Daily: 'Zebra mussels can be cooked and consumed, but I don't think it'll be worth the potential digestive issues that may follow.'
Their constant water filtration typically leads to their harboring a lot of harmful bacteria, which is true for all mussels.
'Freshwater mussels consume plankton and with it any toxins that are present in the water. They make for great water filtration but may not make for a great Amuse Bouche.'
When cooking mussels, wine is often used to help kill off any harmful bacteria that may be present.
'Mussels have to be harvested from clean and uncontaminated waters and cooked thoroughly,' Peart said.
'Lots of butter, lemon and fresh herbs couldn't hurt, but there could still be potentially harmful bacteria. Wine is used in mussel recipes to help kill bacteria. It also happens to be delicious.'
Some invasive mussel species infestations were solved through consumption, such as the green iguana species.
'The green iguana is an invasive species in the Cayman Islands,' Peart told the outlet.
'They have created dishes and cuisine around the efforts to eradicate destructive invasive iguana species by turning them into something mainstream.'
And while the solution worked well, zebra mussels are also much smaller than green iguanas.
The largest zebra mussel only reaches around two inches long at most.
Peart can see how 'from a problem solving standpoint,' turning to consuming zebra mussels could help eradicate them, but doesn't necessarily think that means it's a good idea.
'I won't lie - I skipped the iguana soup while in the Cayman Islands, and I'll probably skip the zebra mussels too,' she said, with no plans to add them to her menu.