This may be opening a big can O worms but I think it may open some ideas as well.
Most of you have heard about the Lion fish finally arriving here in Cozumel. They are native to the South Pacific, and by some error they found their way to Florida around 1992. Having few natural predators, they thrived and spread first north up the Atlantic coast then south into the Caribbean. A few months ago rumors started to spread about them being seen in Cozumel. On the 27th of Feb there was a specimen captured near Punta Sur by the marine park. It is official they are here. :shocked2:
Here is the issue; The non native Lion Fish will definitely affect the local species as they themselves are voracious predators and the local species have poor defenses against them. Apparently large grouper here are able to eat the venomous lion fish but to what degree is yet to be seen. If the marine park here begins a culling operation or allows trained Dive masters or locals to slow the spread, it would only really help on the west side of the island. The east side would become saturated as there would not be sufficient vigilance to keep the numbers down.
Picture this scenario: you are on a dive with your guide and other divers at Palancar, you spot a lion fish and everyone is pleased. The lion fish is actually a beautiful and interesting species, great for photo ops as they don't move very fast. Everyone moves in close, takes pictures and is generally pleased and happy to see such a colorful animal. Then when everyone is done, the dive master/guide takes out a small harpoon and kills it? Not good.
If we let them live, they will change the ecosystem here (to what degree we are not sure). If we kill them, we will not be stopping the problem as they will flourish on the east side anyway and constantly trickle around to the regularly dove areas. Perhaps we would see an increase in large grouper if they can indeed feed on them?
As caretakers of our reefs, this is a difficult issue. Humans constantly affect the environment no matter how good our intentions may be. We can study areas like the Bahamas where the fish has caused significant changes, for better or worse. We know that nature is constantly seeking balance in a very complex chain of life.
The question is, What can we truly do if anything to fix the problem?
Do nothing. Let nature take it's course. It's called evolution.
