Lionfish/DM's don't care!

[mstevens]

I think there are far too many people who just happen to be scuba divers who think they know what is right for this planet.

Having read a number of your posts, I get the strong impression you also think you know what is right for this planet.

I personally believe that everyone should be free to express their opinions as long as they agree with mine and that the misinformed idiots who disagree with me need to shut up.

 

[Pelagicsal]

Maybe we can blame another creature that was introduced by the tens of thousands in the mid-80's and beyond and whose numbers have done nothing but increased......I think it was called a scuba diver.

Well, that's true, but the bag limit on those is so small that it barely makes it worth it to turn them into fishfood!

 

[DiverTy]

We were there over Thanksgiving and the DMs we dove with caught three (one DM caught two, alive, in one bag) on one dive and made several attempts on a few other dives. They seemed very concerned and were making a concerted effort to try and do something about it. It was disturbing to see so many though..... One of them was quite large.

 

[ggunn]

I personally tell all the DMs on the boats we take in Cozumel that they cant go killing at lionfish when we are with them.

You lecture the DM's in Cozumel on what they can and cannot do when they are in the water? How's that working out for you?

 

[cmulvaney]

Bump...Almost 2.5 years

I wonder if any of the posters here have changed their mind in the last few years on whether the Lionfish is invasive and needs to be controlled.

 

[jd950]

Bump...Almost 2.5 years

I wonder if any of the posters here have changed their mind in the last few years on whether the Lionfish is invasive and needs to be controlled.

From what I have seen, most people on Scubaboard never change their mind about anything.

 

[JamesK]

Bump...Almost 2.5 years

I wonder if any of the posters here have changed their mind in the last few years on whether the Lionfish is invasive and needs to be controlled.

Nope. I think we do more harm then the Lion Fish. On restricted beaches here and beaches that were closed for long periods to diving the fish population is thriving. On the others it is not as alive. Is that because of Lion Fish? Nope, because for some damn reason every newly certified scuba diver here feels it is their duty to go out and get a Hawaiian Sling and destroy every Lion Fish they see. Of course then they also kill all the fish that the Lion Fish would have ate, and then some. I think WE are the invasive species!

---------- Post added May 23rd, 2012 at 08:13 PM ----------

From what I have seen, most people on Scubaboard never change their mind about anything.

Why would I do that? I am always right! LOL

 

[MMM]

Most people diving in recent months at the more typically dived depths (60-80 feet) in Cozumel report seeing very, very few lionfish...unlike the case a couple of years ago. DMs have been very aggressive in addressing the issue. Some are also trying to do some "cleansing" at deeper depths in their off time where they are much more plentiful. Fishermen have found a market for them at some of the local restaurants in town and so are fishing for them. What needs to happen now is for the hotels to put them on their menus as that would create an even bigger market. Wisely, the Marine Park has not allowed every newly certified diver to take a sling out to try and take them out. Overall, Coz has been doing a pretty good job I think, in trying to deal with this species. And we have the DMs mainly to thank for this.

 

[cvchief]

As Lionfish, I believe in the Han Solo rule:


Shoot first... Besides, what is the worst that could happen?

 

[cobra269]

I just returned last week with 25 dives. The DM's would brief us if we saw a lion fish let them know. They killed everyone they saw and would break them up and feed them to snappers, groupers, nurse sharks, morays, lobsters and even once a toad fish that came out of it's hole to eat it during the day. Some dives didn't see a one others the DM's killed up to 3.