Could we 'Eat the Invaders'?

Introduced plants and animals are one of the biggest threats to our biodiversity. Pests like cats, carp, cane toads, camels, deer and rabbits have driven many of our native plants and animals to the brink of extinction.

The new mini series Eat the Invaders will attempt to turn each of these six problematic pests into desirable culinary gold, with the help of scientists, land carers, an artist and a chef.

Keep an eye out for the episode on cats, where our Communications Manager Jaana Dielenberg talks to host Tony Armstrong about the impact free-roaming pet cats have on wildlife.

“Working with Tony Armstrong and the Eat the Invader production team on this series has been fantastic,” Biodiversity Council Communications Manager Jaana Dielenberg said.

“They have really put the work in to explore the issues around these six invasive animals, looking at a wide range of ecological, Indigenous and social impacts.

“The quirky, artistic and unusual culinary angles are going to draw in a huge audience of viewers and get many more people thinking about the impact of invasive species in Australia and how we can manage them,”

“Together with habitat loss, invasive species are one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss across Australia, pushing many native species to the brink of extinction.

“To stop nature loss we need to see improved policies and much greater investment from governments to manage the impacts of invasive species.

“Community demand is going to be important to make that happen. I’m hopeful that the extra attention generated by this series will help build that demand.”

Catch the first episode of Eat the Invaders on Tuesday 7 January at 8.30pm on ABC TV or ABC iView.