lionfish in Cozumel

[geokr]

That's is fine. However, they should not discourage folks from culling the increasing menace if capable...

Please cite the policy that REEF discourages culling - I've never seen it. Quite the contrary. BTW, if you've read any of my posts you'll know that as a REEF member and privately I advocate removing as many of these fish by anyone and by any means necessary to protect the park and the rest of the marine environment. Open season suits me just fine. I think that slamming REEF for studying the problem is misguided as it's a necessary step that justfies the means employed to control the threat. No one in Cozumel, not DMs, not anyone would be culling lionfish if REEF hadn't provided the reasons for doing so with their studies and in meetings with park officials where sound, scientifically based facts helped them come to the conclusion that control efforts should begin. Casual divers and their "opinions" had little if anything to do with changing those bureaucratic minds to allow the steps that are being taken now. Facts did and they were provided, in large part, by the efforts of REEF.

 

[Scott L]

Please cite the policy that REEF discourages culling - I've never seen it.

Here is one advisory...


Lionfish Research Program | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

 

[cvchief]

I still love ya, FD.... I'll hoist one to you at WW on the 15th.

 

[Scott L]

This is what we are instructed to do upon sighting...


Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) | Diving That Counts

 

[Scott L]

Please cite the policy that REEF discourages culling - I've never seen it. Quite the contrary. BTW, if you've read any of my posts you'll know that as a REEF member and privately I advocate removing as many of these fish by anyone and by any means necessary to protect the park and the rest of the marine environment. Open season suits me just fine. I think that slamming REEF for studying the problem is misguided as it's a necessary step that justfies the means employed to control the threat. No one in Cozumel, not DMs, not anyone would be culling lionfish if REEF hadn't provided the reasons for doing so with their studies and in meetings with park officials where sound, scientifically based facts helped them come to the conclusion that control efforts should begin. Casual divers and their "opinions" had little if anything to do with changing those bureaucratic minds to allow the steps that are being taken now. Facts did and they were provided, in large part, by the efforts of REEF.

I say to Reef.org go-ahead and study away and work toward a broad based program to limit or totally eradicate the specisis. We are just coming forward with our superior foresight ability and are predicting that any capable diver will soon be solocited to join the effort in eliminating the invaders who threaten the entire ecosystem of the caribbean basin and the eastern coast of the USA. You heard it here first!....

 

[geokr]

Here is one advisory...


Lionfish Research Program | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

The part that says "The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), has been working with Federal, State and local partners as well as divers and dive operators, public aquaria and foreign fisheries departments to enact rapid response documentation and removals and assist with scientific investigations related to non-native marine species."??? The part that asks divers to report sightings??? Sounds like a good idea to me. Just what is wrong with this policy?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Please cite the policy that REEF discourages culling - I've never seen it. Quite the contrary. BTW, if you've read any of my posts you'll know that as a REEF member and privately I advocate removing as many of these fish by anyone and by any means necessary to protect the park and the rest of the marine environment. Open season suits me just fine. I think that slamming REEF for studying the problem is misguided as it's a necessary step that justfies the means employed to control the threat. No one in Cozumel, not DMs, not anyone would be culling lionfish if REEF hadn't provided the reasons for doing so with their studies and in meetings with park officials where sound, scientifically based facts helped them come to the conclusion that control efforts should begin. Casual divers and their "opinions" had little if anything to do with changing those bureaucratic minds to allow the steps that are being taken now. Facts did and they were provided, in large part, by the efforts of REEF.

REEF is not the only source of this information you know. A blind man could watch what happened in Bahamas and know that the lionfish meant bad business. I am not saying that REEF does not add value but you seem to hold them up on a pedastal.....MANY do not feel they deserve that pedestal. I am one of them.

And I slammed REEF because their direction is to have people swim away from the lionfish and "report them" allowing more damage to happen in the meantime. With a fish that does as much damage as the lionfish does and as quickly as it does, this is simply irresponsible IMO. Overall, I am happy that REEF is here but when people cite their BS on lionfish and say that we should follow them, the problem grows exponentially. In this case, it is my strong opinion that REEF is part of the problem because of the "message of inactivity" that they put out there.

 

[Scott L]

The part that says "The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), has been working with Federal, State and local partners as well as divers and dive operators, public aquaria and foreign fisheries departments to enact rapid response documentation and removals and assist with scientific investigations related to non-native marine species."??? The part that asks divers to report sightings??? Sounds like a good idea to me. Just what is wrong with this policy?

They have been pubilically discouraging the public from eliminating LF and report only...

 

[Randy43068]

I think REEF is wrong to want only to "study" these things. The evidence is pretty clear to any reasonable mind that lion fish are deleterious to the fragile reef ecosystems they are now invading.

How much study is required to understand that??

 

[Scott L]

REEF is not the only source of this information you know. A blind man could watch what happened in Bahamas and know that the lionfish meant bad business. I am not saying that REEF does not add value but you seem to hold them up on a pedastal.....MANY do not feel they deserve that pedestal. I am one of them.

Credit was given to the Park Officals as being visionaries. Please! Nostradamus they are not. Just a group of folks with common sense...