Kill the lionfish?

[megatron8121]

I came across a profile on twitter today that is about killing lionfish off around the Fl. keys area. I haven't heard much about it but I was wondering if this is necessary? Why do they have to kill them?

Like I said I don't know much about it, but as an owner of a lionfish I feel there has to be another way then killing these beautiful creatures....

[b0bab0ey]

Originally Posted by megatron8121

I came across a profile on twitter today that is about killing lionfish off around the Fl. keys area. I haven't heard much about it but I was wondering if this is necessary? Why do they have to kill them?

Like I said I don't know much about it, but as an owner of a lionfish I feel there has to be another way then killing these beautiful creatures....

Without Googling it to refresh my memory of all the details, I believe Lionfish in and around the Keys are an invasive species that are wrecking havoc on local ecosystems. I don't think Lionfish are natural to the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf, etc. and yet they are now present in those bodies of water. I'm sure someone will chime in with more precise information.

[glyle41]

Lion fish in the keys are wreaking havoc on the baitfish populations and they are invasive.

[T Diddy]

I hear they taste good, and there is no limit/regulation on catch

[Waddleboy]

i did research on this in the Cayman Islands. They are invasive to the area. They are normally found the pacific and have no natural predators in the area. Research have been trying to find a away to irradiate them but to no avail. The only thing that seems to be working (and by working its not helping) is that when local divers take people out they bag them and send them in to the research labs. I spent a month there and probably caught close to 50 in 4 weeks. They eat the smaller fish and are hurting fish populations. That's the shortest version of it... also Tdiddy, they taste like nothing. Maybe flounder? if i was stretching it haha.

[Bluetangclan]

Try something like eradicating 90% of the reef fish in the areas they make a home in.

According to a few of the big wigs here, they taste great. I heard in Bermuda they are offering them on menus now. Still more demand is required to make a dent in them. I think all Pacific importation needs to end on the P. volitans and P. miles species and instead catch the ones we already have local. It wont clear the problem, just as collecting in general doesnt eradicate the life on a reef, but it would be a help.

[T Diddy]

grilled or fried?

[CaribSands]

What I've learned from diving the caribbean is that they are voracious eaters and since they don't have any natural predators in the region, their population is exploding. When I was in Cozumel last year the dive guides we were with were killing them, then usually feed them to the eels. It seems like dive operators and divers are aggressively killing lionfish around Cozumel and we didn't see very many big ones, but in the Bahamas recently I saw a lot of big lionfish, easily 12-14 inches long.

[ousnakebyte]

Google "Lionfish Invasion" and read up about it.




They are an introduced (non-native) species to the Caribbean/tropical western Atlantic. In the Pacific, it is more of a novelty to see one - certainly not on every dive. But in the Caribbean, with no (or very few) natural predators, their poulations are exploding.

And yes, I have spent time spearing them in Belize - they are easy to catch/spear, as they let you pretty much swim right up to them. The venom is at the base of the spine, not in the muscle flesh. They are quite tasty, like a white flaky fish - not that 'fishy' taste at all.


This is one case where humans really need to do what we do best - overfish the reef (for these only, of course), and spearfishing is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to fish, in terms of producing virtually zero bycatch.

Cheers
Mike

[thebanker]

That map is pretty startling, I've read about the lionfish problem but never seen it visualized.

Not good!

[tandldel]

Originally Posted by ousnakebyte

Google "Lionfish Invasion" and read up about it.




They are an introduced (non-native) species to the Caribbean/tropical western Atlantic. In the Pacific, it is more of a novelty to see one - certainly not on every dive. But in the Caribbean, with no (or very few) natural predators, their poulations are exploding.

And yes, I have spent time spearing them in Belize - they are easy to catch/spear, as they let you pretty much swim right up to them. The venom is at the base of the spine, not in the muscle flesh. They are quite tasty, like a white flaky fish - not that 'fishy' taste at all.


This is one case where humans really need to do what we do best - overfish the reef (for these only, of course), and spearfishing is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to fish, in terms of producing virtually zero bycatch.

Cheers
Mike

Mike, nice map. We dive in the Bahamas often and you see them all over the place. They are trying to get them on as many menus as possible.They see this as the only way to encourage the locals to go after them. As you said to get us to do what we do best. They do not belong in this ecosystem but are not likely to be moving on anytime soon.. With no other predators..

[ousnakebyte]

I'm heading to the Bahamas in May, and I'd like to take my spear with me. But, I don't know if you are allowed to take lionfish while on scuba in the Bahamas. I believe that spearfishing on scuba is not allowed there, but for lionfish, I don't know if there is an exception.

What's really amazing to me is their thermal tolerance. To ride the gulf stream up to New England - even in the summer, it's still not the Caribbean.

And, I've been at recreational depth limit and seen them beyond the lower limit for recreational scuba (I didn't go get them...). I've even heard reports that they have been found as low as 400 feet. With a range of the shallows to even those modest depths.... I fear this is not a problem that will go away soon.

Cheers
Mike

[maymania6]

When we dove in Cayman a year ago we were told by our dive masters that it has been approved for Lion fish to be killed on sight.

[Dragon moray ki]

They do it in beilez they even have contest I don't know why. They even have blue ones down there.

[Fin Mike]

I spearfish off the coast of SC all the time and I can assure you, we have plenty and some are really big. Full blown adults. Certainly a huge breeding population. They will not move if approached, so catching them is a piece of cake. If the hunting is slow, I will take out a few. Improves my aim!!!!!

[Luiz Rocha]

Here is a 2011 map:

[ousnakebyte]

Thanks Luiz - I was wondering about a more current map - that's impressive, and sad.

It will be interesting to see if they make it through (or around?) the discharge of the Amazon to southern Brasil.


I got this one just off the house reef at Carrie Bow, Belize.




And this little one was just under the dock on Carrie Bow - I seriously almost stepped on it. It seems I often find juveniles recruiting to the sea grass beds. I don't find them this small on the actual reef.




Cheers
Mike

[7hogwarts]

I was in the Florida Keys a couple months ago. They want them all killed. No size limit or number.One sign said they reach sexual maturity in about 2 years. Females can lay several million eggs every 4 days. And with no natural predators it can be easy to see why there are so many.

[ut_vols13]

http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceno...for.html?rss=1

[jmowbray]

I went down to the keys last summer to visit a friend I also went diving. They said that they weren't supposed to take them as they weren't "in season." However, one of the employees on the boat went down a speared 4 within 30mins. What a PITA! I'm glad the have went from "in season" to shoot on site. lol

[LOTUS50GOD]

I heard Lionfish tastes awesome. There are several cookbooks on the subject.
When I dove Key Largo, in October, I didnt see any, but I was told that they just had a roundup a week before we got there.

[reefergeorge]

They are all over in cozumel. When I told the dive master we pay $50 for them he was in shock.

[sps_reefer]

they are all over in SE FL. see them lots snorkeling around the inlets.

[keywestcoralboy]

I have slain many o lion fish.. They are everywhere in key west coastal and offshore my personal best is around 18" and about a pound. I have no qualms with the fish themselves it's their effect on the ecosystem that I live in. They eat alot of tropical fish and juvenile reef fish. When I'm collecting I ALWAYS see lion fish and they never flea. They are bold making them an easy target. One of my friends (commercial) collector sells wild Caribbean lion fish. To the Miami wholesales.. Pretty cool

[rpjaws74]

almost feel sorry for the poor basterds...