lionfish in Cozumel

[firstdive2005]

another big problem with divers killing the lionfish is that the buggers are now being found at deeper depths... 100' or more. Our DM would signal us to stay as he went down to spear, then he would pop back up with us. I can see crazy tourist/divers heading down to 100-150' depths to spear a lionfish and running out of air or get DCS or other issues.... all to spear a lionfish. Let's all keep our heads, point them out to DM, let them take care of them out on boat dives. Now, in shallow water shore dives, no problem catching them, IMHO. As I said before, we didn't kill, only caught them... the dive shop killed them.

robin

Hi Robin, the habitat of the mature lionfish is to go deeper. It is not because they are being hunted. As you state your dm went after them. This should have been discussed at surface on dive briefing as to whether or not you want them to do that.
As far as crazy tourist, well I guess I've been called worse. I do deep depths all the time. I wont tell you how deep as I dont want to really upset the Coz dive police.
And I dont see the difference in you live catching the critter to be carried on land in a container to its' doom. As far as I'm concernd I think that is cruel and unusual punishment on the poor thing. But I'm glad you did it none the less as it got rid of it.
But keep up the good work. By the way I love your pictures and vids.

 

[ONESPEED]

Yeah they talked me out of the fork. Really need the 19" BBQ fork with sharper points than I was to carry around. Never was much of a hunter.

This guy has the right idea....

 

[firstdive2005]

This guy has the right idea....

He'd better be careful with the pez leon. It looks like his fingers took a hit.

 

[ONESPEED]

He'd better be careful with the pez leon. It looks like his fingers took a hit.

That's because he was originally using Dandy Don's fork.

 

[firstdive2005]

That's because he was originally using Dandy Don's fork.

Sorry Don but that was funny. We can use Dons at the fish fry.

 

[jd950]

A number of Caribbean nations have relaxed their spearfishing bans in an attempt to keep up pressure on the lionfish populations. Some of these may be long term changes in their laws, others are limited to periodic "derbies" and such.

As far as I know, there have been no reports of mass spearfish injuries, reef damage or people taking the wrong fish in those countries. I would guess Bonaire and Cozumel will be the last to take such an approach, but who knows?

On a side note, I find it humorous that on Cozumel it is tolerable for a diver to catch a lionfish and take it to someone to be killed and delivered back to the sea dead as a potential meal for a fish. Is it that killing it on shore is better, or that using approved lionfish executioners is somehow better? Silliness, really.

Won't taking the dead lionfish out and feeding them to other fish/eels teach that fish or eel to associate divers with food? Is there any science behind these sanctioned activities, or are we just making this stuff up as we go along? I am not sure which part of diving medicine makes a DM less likely than anyone else to get bent doing bounce to 150' to kill a lionfish, but I do agree that generally, most divers (and DMs) should not be doing so.

To those who say only DMs have the experience, skill and knowledge to spear lionfish, I have a question: Given the history of the Cozumel marine park, how did all these DMs become experienced users of spears anyway? I would think people working in the marine parks of Bonaire and Cozumel would be some of the least experienced people with spears.

Each country or marine park makes their own rules and we should follow the rules. But there is nothing wrong with discussiing the rules and their reasonbaleness, even if we ultimately have no say in them. I suspect Cozumel could come up with a program that would permit and even encourage divers to "take" lionfish in a safe and responsible manner, and perhaps even use that to draw more divers as a result, but it is up to them.

From what I have seen, spear "guns" are neither necessary nor desirable for lionfish. Frog gigs, pole spears and even broom handles with nails have been used successfully. I don't spearfish because I don't want to contribute to the depletion of reef fish populations, but I would enjoy learning how and then taking lionfish. I hope to legally kill a few on my next dive trip (not Coz) and attempt to make a dinner out of them. Alternatively, I guess I will kill them and leave them for other sea life to eat.

By the way, the presence of those small juveniles on Cozumel is probably a bad sign of what the bigger lionfish have been doing when not eating juvenile grouper.....

 

[mike_s]

This guy has the right idea....

Check out these divers "forks".


They have the right idea... apparently a "Lionfish in a car" came down the street and they went after him!

 

[DandyDon]

Nice pic Mike :silly:

I don't want to file my BBQ sharp enough, but if I can find a used one cheap enough on ebay, or another SS, 19+" fork with synthetic handle, maybe. Replace the leather handle with a camera strap...

On a side note, I find it humorous that on Cozumel it is tolerable for a diver to catch a lionfish and take it to someone to be killed and delivered back to the sea dead as a potential meal for a fish. Is it that killing it on shore is better, or that using approved lionfish executioners is somehow better? Silliness, really.

Well, it was legal as they were not in the park.

Won't taking the dead lionfish out and feeding them to other fish/eels teach that fish or eel to associate divers with food?

The part I don't like, yeah.

 

[bhalah]

another big problem with divers killing the lionfish is that the buggers are now being found at deeper depths... 100' or more. Our DM would signal us to stay as he went down to spear, then he would pop back up with us. I can see crazy tourist/divers heading down to 100-150' depths to spear a lionfish and running out of air or get DCS or other issues.... all to spear a lionfish. Let's all keep our heads, point them out to DM, let them take care of them out on boat dives. Now, in shallow water shore dives, no problem catching them, IMHO. As I said before, we didn't kill, only caught them... the dive shop killed them.

robin

Hi Robin;
If I understand your post correctly, you are saying that the more lion fish are killed, the deeper the survivors go to hide from the hunters. Am I correct?

b

 

[ONESPEED]

I don't want to file my BBQ sharp enough, but if I can find a used one cheap enough on ebay, or another SS, 19+" fork with synthetic handle, maybe. Replace the leather handle with a camera strap...

Dude, really, really bad idea, please stop pimping the fork.