DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-100-6-0255

INVAZNÍ ŽIVOČICHOVÉ: EKOLOGICKÉ RIZIKO A POTENCIÁL PRO POTRAVINÁŘSTVÍ

INVASIVE ALIEN ANIMALS: ECOLOGICAL RISKS AND POTENTIAL FOR FOOD INDUSTRY

Ondřej Mikulka1
1 Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti, Lesnická a dřevařská fakulta, Mendelova univerzita v Brně, Zemědělská 1665/1, 613 00 Brno, Česká republika


Invasive alien species represent a serious ecological and economic problem, the importance of which has been increasing in recent decades. In addition to their negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, the question arises whether at least some of these species can be theoretically considered as alternative food resources.
This contribution focuses on selected invasive alien animal species associated with aquatic, wetland and production environments in the Czech Republic, for which a potential for consumption has been reported worldwide and historically also in this region. Although several dozens of invasive animal species are recorded in the Czech Republic, only a limited number of them show a real or at least theoretical potential for food use. These include especially the coypu (Myocastor coypus), Chinese pond mussel (Sinanodonta woodiana), spiny-cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus), signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), selected fish species such as stone moroko (Pseudorasbora parva) and Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), and in a broader context also the sika deer (Cervus nippon).
For each species, its origin, introduction history, current distribution in the Czech Republic and the main ecological, health and economic risks resulting from its occurrence are briefly summarized. At the same time, their possible significance as non-traditional but only theoretically exploitable food resources is indicated.

Keywords: invasive species, ecological risks, food industry, alternative food resources, game meat

pages: 255-262, online: 2026



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