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Stefano Piraino, a zoology professor at the University of Salento, Italy, is to lead a European Commission-funded study which will attempt to demonstrate that the ideal location for jellyfish is to be served at dinner.

“We need to adapt, to turn this problem into an opportunity. We started to analyse the chemical composition of jellyfish in the Mediterranean and realised that they were similar to the ones eaten in the Far East,” Piraino said.

The benefit of jellyfish as cuisine is that should a jellyfish be removed from the sea, it doesn’t stop new ones being born as they spawn from polyps which are attached to the bottom of the ocean.

Jellyfish is known for its delicate and slightly salted flavour, which means that it is consumed as a textual experience. The consistency means that Chinese and Japanese diners eat it raw, or sliced up, as an ingredient in salad.

Piraino added: “I once had a Michelin-starred chef prepare a jellyfish tasting, and one fish expert said that it was like the best oyster he’d ever tasted.

“In Sardinia and Sicily, they take similar sea animals to the jellyfish, fry them up, and they’re a local delicacy. I think it will only be a matter of time until we’re widely adapted to eating them.”

However, the professor added: “The opportunities are there and, ultimately, we need a better plan than to simply stay out of the water.

“We need to train fishermen so we can get some value from this unused biomass.”