Lionfish Removal Plan

[Stone]

I have not requested Scuba Board participation in a lionfish reduction proposal evaluation in a long time.

The proposal has been endorsed by a leading scientist and stakeholders such as scuba shops, marinas, hotels, restaurants.

Please take a look at the proposal described at the link below and add your voice if you agree with the concept (the basic concept allows a spear-fisher to take a few extra game fish in return for killing lionfish).

GoPetition - Error 404: Page not found

Thanks!

 

[Chugwhump]

Dead link to me.

Chug
Almost exclusively a Lionfish assassin.

 

[Stone]

Try this link:

GoPetition - Error 404: Page not found

Thanks!

 

[Chugwhump]

Still not working for me.

Might be the iPad I am on.

Chug
Not really an Apple weirdo/nerd/whackadoo

 

[Stone]

Still not working for me.

Might be the iPad I am on.

Chug
Not really an Apple weirdo/nerd/whackadoo

Scuba board firewall. If link fails, try cut and paste of the link below.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-lionfish-population-control-and-the-search-for-eradication-methods.html

 

[Chugwhump]

That worked.

Chug
Dry after not diving for three weeks.

 

[scoobydrew]

Dunno man, encouraging shooting lionfish is great but I don't have enough of an understanding of the existing tag scheme to comment on that bit.

"This would remove approx. 25 BILLION eggs that will not be sexually mature 1 year later, preventing up to 25 quadrillion eggs from being released the year following the removal of 25,000 lionfish. (12.5 Billion female LF x 2 million eggs each = 25,000,000,000000,000)"
- Thats not really a very watertight calculation

"Scientists doing genetic studies have shown that between 6-8 lionfish are responsible for the entire invasion that now threatens this entire hemisphere."
- I'd be really interested to read more about this, can you advise me where I can find out more information?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

One problem may be that the reproductive potential of the population may not be reduced, even with a big reduction in the population. If relatively few lionfish can generate such a huge amount of eggs and the eggs are planktonic and settle with a high success rate, then the environment may well be "saturated" with eggs/larvae from just a few lionfish.

The deep water areas (past recreational diving depths) are going to be a reservoir of reproducing adults which will constantly be releasing eggs.

I wonder if it is somewhat similar to shrimp. I learned in school that the trawlers could pretty much wipe out the shrimp population and it has really no effect on next year's crop. What limits the shrimp population from one year to the next is environmental conditions. If the conditions are favorable, a higher percentage of larvae settle out and survive and the next year's fishing is good. It does not take a large standing crop to generate the required eggs/larvae for the subsequent generation.

 

[CuracaoJ]

Dunno man, encouraging shooting lionfish is great but I don't have enough of an understanding of the existing tag scheme to comment on that bit.

"This would remove approx. 25 BILLION eggs that will not be sexually mature 1 year later, preventing up to 25 quadrillion eggs from being released the year following the removal of 25,000 lionfish. (12.5 Billion female LF x 2 million eggs each = 25,000,000,000000,000)"
- Thats not really a very watertight calculation

"Scientists doing genetic studies have shown that between 6-8 lionfish are responsible for the entire invasion that now threatens this entire hemisphere."
- I'd be really interested to read more about this, can you advise me where I can find out more information?

There have been lots of DNA studies done that verify the number of "parents" responsible for the Caribbean Lionfish problem. I know REEF has lots of the info, dunno if it's on their website. A quick Google search of Lionfish DNA should find you lots of sources to get more info.