TOKYO – In an effort to reduce the number of bluegills – an exotic fish brought into Japan more than 40 years ago that has been preying on indigenous fish – various attempts are being made in both public and private sectors to encourage people to eat the fish.

An omnivorous freshwater fish native to North America, the bluegill is multiplying in lakes and marshes around the country, threatening fish native to Japan. The central government has prohibited selling or breeding the fish since 2005.

Various cooking methods have been devised, with a “bluegill burger” scheduled to make its debut next month.

The Shiga prefectural government is one of the first to call on the public to eat bluegill with a view to the invader’s eradication.

It is believed that 1,250 tons of bluegill inhabit Lake Biwa in the prefecture – the largest lake in the country.

The prefectural government has been working with the central government to – rid the lake of the fish at an annual cost of about 200 million yen, but in vain.

At a loss to know how to resolve the problem, the prefectural government decided to start encouraging people to eat the fish.

The prefectural government’s Web site suggests various ways of cooking the fish, including recipes for deep-fried, marinated and chili-sauce flavored bluegill.

A local seafood processing firm, Reiku Fudo Kobo (Lake Food Studio), has started selling bluegill sushi, fermenting the fish in the same way as the local specialty funazushi – carp fermented with salt and rice.

Though the product is a little sour, it is quite popular among the store’s customers for its low fat and chewy texture.

Starting Dec. 3, Fukui University will start selling bluegill burgers at its co-op store.

Developed by Hideto Hoshina, an associate professor of the university, the product is named “Eco Burger” to signal its role in exterminating a fish that is posing a serious threat to the environment.

The bluegill was introduced into Japan from the United States in 1960. The Emperor, then the crown prince, received the fish from a Chicago mayor as a gift and brought it back home in the hope that the fish could be farmed for food.

Nicknamed the “Prince Fish,” the bluegill was quite popular for some years, but failed to become a staple of the Japanese diet.

According to Dave Spector, a Chicago-native TV producer, the bluegill is quite a common menu item in the United States.

Dishes using the fish are commonly available in U.S. restaurants. It can be fried after seasoning with lemon and butter, and it is also tasty as a meuniere, according to Spector.

“Japanese people eat many types of fish, so I wonder why they didn’t accept the bluegill,” he said.

Katsuki Nakai, chief curator of the Lake Biwa Museum in Otsu, believes that the fish is not well suited to aquaculture in the first place. Adding to its problems, it just does not look good, he added.

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(c) 2007, The Yomiuri Shimbun.

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ARCHIVE PHOTOS on MCT Direct (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): BLUEGILL

ARCHIVE ILLUSTRATION on MCT Direct (from MCT Illustration Bank, 202-383-6064): BLUEGILL

AP-NY-11-21-07 1549EST