Scientist says we need to tackle jellyfish problem by eating them

A scientist has said Britons should start eating jellyfish to control their population.

Jellyfish numbers have risen steadily in the Mediterranean and one breed is also being spotted more frequently around the UK.

Italian marine biologist Professor Silvio Greco wants us to start thinking of jellyfish as food.

‘Jellyfish remind me of oysters,’ he told the BBC.

‘When you eat them you experience an explosion of the sea on your tongue. They are, after all, 90% seawater.’

He said that jellyfish quickly move into the sea’s empty spaces to muscle their way into marine food chains.

‘Now man must be the new predator of jellyfish,’ he said.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK:

Cancer charity founder gave herself £31,000 in ‘significant breach of trust’
Big Ben to be silenced for four years from next week
Passengers flee as London bus catches fire in the middle of Camden
Drunken air passenger arrests have increased by 50% at UK airports

He promoted the idea of eating jellyfish at the Slow Fish festival in Genoa, which takes place every two years.

Professor Greco said jellyfish are rich in protein and are fat-free and low in calories.

He has been deep frying jellyfish and serving it tempura style.

One breed, the mauve stinger, which can cause severe pain and skin rashes with its sting, is becoming more common in British waters.

The number of jellyfish in the Mediterranean has risen by 400% in the past 13 years – marine experts blame the rise on pollution and climate change.