Copyright: cedou
The President of the Elafonisos Eco Association, Mr. Enrico Toja, accompanied by Matteo Cavessi, diver and culinary expert of the association, participated in the 16th Monaco Blue Initiative at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on March 23rd and 24th.
On Sunday, March 23rd, the opening cocktail, carefully prepared by the Fairmont catering service, featured lionfish as the star ingredient. It was prepared on-site as ceviche, surprising attendees with its quality and delicious taste. For most guests, it was a real discovery.
The lionfish served had been freshly caught by Matteo in Elafonisos, highlighting the importance of this still little-known resource.
Copyright: cedou
On Monday, March 24th, Prince Albert II opened the event, emphasizing the need for collaboration and concrete actions to protect the economy and marine biodiversity.
During the lunch, lionfish was served as croquettes and later paired with trofie pasta with pesto, which was a great success.
Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Special Envoy of the President of France for the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference that will be held next June in Nice, expressed interest in the presentation given during the conference on Lionfish titled “From Threat to Opportunity”, underlining the significance of this invasive species in the Mediterranean. Enrico Toja requested from Olivier Poivre d’Arvor wether the Lionfish could be part of the Nice Conference.
This was his response:
The lionfish is a serious threat to the Mediterranean. Introduced through the Suez Canal due to climate change, it has found an ideal environment to thrive in these waters, with no natural predators. The only effective solution to control its spread is human consumption… and fortunately, it is delicious !
The next major event will be the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEEF) at the Grimaldi Forum on June 7th and 8th, followed by the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
WE WILL BE THERE with the LIONFISH !