Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview S1E3 – Perhaps Australia’s most infamous invader is the dreaded cane toad. Brought to Australia to help solve the issue of the cane beetle, they are linked to the decline and extinction of several native species and their numbers are spreading well beyond Queensland into New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Tony joins Women Against Cane Toads (WACT), a group dedicated to hand-catching toads. After bagging hundreds, there’s more than enough for dinner. But aren’t they poisonous?
Tony finds a viral video of someone cooking and eating cane toads, so he reaches out for advice. Though it seems promising, he’s not willing to risk poisoning his guest. An expert warns him that safely preparing cane toad meat would require a regulated process, like the preparation of pufferfish in Japan. Tony tries to get the meat tested, but finding a lab willing to help is harder than expected.
Invasion biologists Phill and Andy discuss the possibility of exporting cane toad meat, which could help reduce pressure on frog species being overharvested for food internationally. If a safety test can be arranged, they’re on board.
However, Tony’s final lab request is rejected, leaving Kirsha and Vince back at Mona to figure out a Plan B. In one of his strangest feasts yet, Tony is joined by politician Bob Katter, who brings his own eccentric ideas for controlling the toad population. Inspired by Bob’s political stunts, Tony devises a way to bring cane toad awareness to the city streets.
Production credit:
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A Closer Productions production for the ABC. Principal production funding from Screen Australia and the ABC. Financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation and Screen Tasmania. International sales by ABC Commercial. Writer and director: Matthew Bate. Executive Producer: Rebecca Summerton. Producer: Sarah Wormald. Creative Producer: Kirsha Kaechele. ABC Commissioning Editor: Kalita Corrigan. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist: Susie Jones
Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview – Tuesday 21 January at 8.30pm
TV Central ABC content HERE
Eat the Invaders on ABC and ABC iview S1E3
