Forget farm-to-table—California wants you to eat swamp rats instead

California – California wildlife officials are urging residents to consider adding nutria, a large invasive rodent, to their diets as a means of controlling the species’ burgeoning population and protecting native ecosystems.

Nutria, originally from South America and introduced for the fur trade, have become a significant threat to California’s wetlands, particularly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. These semi-aquatic rodents destroy habitats and outcompete native wildlife by consuming up to a quarter of their body weight in vegetation daily, leading to erosion and habitat loss.

“Eating invasive species can help protect native wildlife by reducing their numbers and limiting the damage they cause to ecosystems,” said Erin Huggins, a spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service, in a late February statement.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reports that nutria, which can grow to nearly the size of a small dog, were thought to be eradicated from the state in the 1970s, but a resurgence was detected in 2017. As of early February, CDFW has removed approximately 5,500 nutria from California wetlands, with the highest concentrations found in Merced, Fresno, Stanislaus, and Solano counties.

To make the idea of eating nutria more appealing, officials are noting its resemblance in taste to rabbit or dark turkey meat. Resources, including recipes for nutria stews and chili, are available on Nutria.com.

The call to consume nutria coincided with National Invasive Species Awareness Week, highlighting the urgency of addressing the damage caused by invasive species. In addition to nutria, officials are also encouraging the hunting and consumption of other invasive species, including northern snakehead, green iguana, various carp species, and wild boars.