Curacao Lionfish?

[Karel]

Curacao law : you should spear the Lionfish. Having a spear is not aloud!
I am getting used to them so, if you can't beat them, enjoy them. They are not ugly.

 

[jd950]

It's pretty hard to believe that divers will kill enough of these creatures to have much of an effect on the population of lion fish? On Cozumel they kill them on every dive, yet you see them all the time, am I to believe that dive masters will be doing this forever? Hopefully, other local predators will start eating these fish as time goes on.

I don't think anyone believes that divers can eliminate lionfish by spearing or capturing them. I think the idea is that it puts at least some pressure on them while we wait or look for a better means of dealing with them. Lionfish are voracious predators of native fish and each lionfish killed means just that many more juvenile snapper, grouper, etc., that may survive to become adults.

Additionally, they are about the only reef fish that can be taken and eaten without doing environmental harm. If people start eating lionfish instead of grouper and snapper, not only will it put pressure on the lionfish populations, but relieve some pressure on the native species that are increasingly in short supply. There is now a widespread effort to promote eating them throughout their new Atlantic/Caribbean range but obviously you have to catch them before you can eat them and unfortunately, they are not easily caught by hook and line.

Curacao should consider issuing Lionfish-only spearfishing permits for a small fee. The gov't could use the money for environmental protection purposes, dive shops would make money from classes and gear and specialized dive outings, etc.

 

[Kukuisa]

Curacao should consider issuing Lionfish-only spearfishing permits for a small fee. The gov't could use the money for environmental protection purposes, dive shops would make money from classes and gear and specialized dive outings, etc.

The government has been silent for a long time but is now considering of buying a few hundred ELF(Eliminate Lion Fish)-spears. Those will be marked and given to certain dive operators and other selected volunteers. Their selection criteria are not clear however.

 

[aquajon]

when was the last time anyone diving on Curacao got stoped by a law officer?

 

[gustele]

I know that there are dive ops who will warn the authorities when they see divers with a spear. I also know that this (not always) results in action. So I wouldn't take the risk.

 

[Hondaid]

Please stay tuned
gb

 

[Bas Noij]

I presume they will choose a similar approach to the one on Bonaire with the ELF. Every ELF user signs a contract and can only use his/her numbered ELF and obviously only to hunt Lion Fish and nothing else.

 

[ADSFire]

So I can't bring my home made spear to Curacao and help the gov't out? The divemasters in Cozumel LOVED the help. We decimated a lionfish hub at Chankanaab and fed lots of sealife: eels, queen triggers, anemones and toadfish!

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

The government has started a program using ELFS - Eliminate Lion Fish Spears. These were issued to specific dive masters at a variety of dive shops. In other words I can't use Bryan's. They are killing quite a few each time they go out hunting. David did grill up some that Steve bagged (and cleaned) for all to taste But.... ask how much the dorsal fins hurts.... Please don't be expecting any lionfish brownies any time soon

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Sorry, I missed page 2 of this thread.
A program has been started. The dive shops were invited to participate and I believe took part in a 2 night class. Individuals from each op were registered with numbered ELFS. The official ceremony was about 3 weeks ago. I think I only counted about 50 being handed out but I'm not sure how many did not attend the government signing of approval for the program. We kinda missed out on the first wave of classes and spears but will try to be involved with the next batch issued.
I'm still not cleaning them.