Are we as divers, doing enough to curb the issue of lionfish in the atlantic?

[chillyinCanada]

Over the past few years, it had been my perception that the little Caribbean reef fishies off of Ambergris Caye, were declining rapidly, whilst seeing plenty of the dastardly lionfish. However, over the past year, it has been my perception that there is a bit of a return of the little fishies and rarely do I see a lionfish on the local dives. Apparently, there are derbies, bbq's, and just days when the guys go out and get as many as they can.

Last trip to Roatan, considered myself fortunate to be on a lionfish hunting dive. I wasn't a hunter, not even much of a spotter. The guys were all over the place shooting their slings, one handed, as they also carried buckets with lids. The lids were cut in a radiating slides (star effect), and upon spearing the lionfish, would shove the spear/fish into the bucket lid, and then draw the spear back out, leaving the lionfish in the bucket.

They had a great BBQ later that evening.

I agree that nature will eventually find a balance. Problem is don't know if I'll be able to dive that long.

 

[Akimbo]

…I agree that nature will eventually find a balance. Problem is don't know if I'll be able to dive that long.

None of us will. Nature never has been in balance and never will find balance, but will always seek balance. Lionfish in the Atlantic is just another tiny variable in the vast equation.

 

[tomfcrist]

Here's the deal. Lionfish are quite tasty. That being said, let's make the local governments think that we are making a difference so that they don't haul off and decide to put bag limits on them. Once that happens, the gig is up. I know of a few deeper wrecks in NC that I can pull dozens of BIG Lionfish every time I dive there. I'm talking almost rivaling the grouper in size.

I don't mind getting stung now and then as long as I can keep eating this highly sustainable yummy fish.

Kill as many as you can, but not just for the sake of killing them....eat them all too.

 

[Chugwhump]

Here's the deal. Lionfish are quite tasty. That being said, let's make the local governments think that we are making a difference so that they don't haul off and decide to put bag limits on them. Once that happens, the gig is up. I know of a few deeper wrecks in NC that I can pull dozens of BIG Lionfish every time I dive there. I'm talking almost rivaling the grouper in size.

I don't mind getting stung now and then as long as I can keep eating this highly sustainable yummy fish.

Kill as many as you can, but not just for the sake of killing them....eat them all too.

I kill them for the sake of protecting their prey from them.
I kill them because they are an invasive exotic, and if I could get away with culling French Canadians and people from New York City in Florida, I probably would also.
I kill them because I regard them as a superior food, and there is very little down side to their removal.
I kill them because I am a natural born killer/hunter gatherer intellectual redneck type.
I kill them and wish I did not have to.

Chug
Makes fun of Yankees, but actually has many as very dear friends.

 

[100days-a-year]

There is sufficient commercial market,I get nearly the same price as grouper and more than I get for many species.I could sell a ton a day easily.

Harvesting by hand is the only viable method that does not do the environment more damage than good altho Keys lobster traps do account for quite a few.

Harvesters will get stung,repeatedly.This culls the willing participants.

They are sufficiently ensconced in enough areas that it precludes their complete removal.

FWIW,I have killed close to a thousand this year at a 1.7 pound average.@ $5 a pound.My crew is just behind me.

 

[gopbroek]

Does anyone know how the Lionfish trap, that was getting a lot of press earlier this year, worked out? New trap may fight invasive lionfish - Outdoors - MiamiHerald.com

 

[drbill]

If what I have heard about them in the Atlantic is true (and I have little reason to doubt it), I think it is fighting a lost cause. It is said there is a deep water reservoir of this species down to perhaps 500 fsw... well below recreational dive depths. If so, for every one that is killed by recreational divers, there is a good chance one from deeper water will replace it. Also their reproductive rate is pretty prodigious.

I'm not saying people shouldn't try to do something about it (we have a similar problem here with a very prodigious Asian seaweed that has come to dominate our waters in winter and spring), but I'm not very optimistic about our ability to really control these invaders.

 

[HIGHwing]

My observation is the big lion fishies in South Florida are on the deep wrecks. The problem is we need to find someone who's crazy enough to to shoot the deep lions with a significant deco obligation. Any takers? Not me, though I'd love to clean up the Hydro, Koramu (sp?), Ande, Lowrance, and BTW the RBJ was carpeted with lions in September... The lion fish were literally everywhere on the RBJ, but I'm not comfortable spearing something that could sting me it in nearly 250-300 feet of water. That's just too much deco time to suffer with a sting.

 

[HJeffreyM]

I hate to break it to you guys....but:

US Food and Drug Administration Echoes Previous Nature Foundation Recommendation on Lionfish Carrying Ciguatera Fish Poisoning.

I have also dined on the very tasty Lionfish...but will not do so again. So much for killin' and grillin'.

 

[Hank49]

I hate to break it to you guys....but:

US Food and Drug Administration Echoes Previous Nature Foundation Recommendation on Lionfish Carrying Ciguatera Fish Poisoning.

I have also dined on the very tasty Lionfish...but will not do so again. So much for killin' and grillin'.

If the lion fish are toxic in an area, it's likely other reef predators (barracuda, grouper, snapper etc) will be also, and vice versa.