Question Greece lionfish

[Jay Harris]

My son and I are planning to dive Skiathos and Skopelos islands in Greece mid July and would like to spear lionfish while there. Any suggestions on diveshops or spearing lionfish on these islands would be appreciated.

 

[Akimbo]

Hmmm, maybe @wetb4igetinthewater knows?

Does anyone know were these lionfish came from?

 

[Jay Harris]

Yes, in the Caribbean and Atlantic the widely accepted theory is aquarium owners dumped their lionfish off the coast of Florida. In the Mediterranean and Adriatic, lionfish swam up the Suez Canal. Doing enormous damage to ecosystems.

 

[Patrick1000]

My son and I are planning to dive Skiathos and Skopelos islands in Greece mid July and would like to spear lionfish while there. Any suggestions on diveshops or spearing lionfish on these islands would be appreciated.

I was diving in Zakynthos 3 weeks ago, very little fish, predominantly lion fish. I was told that hunting the species was still forbidden in Greece.
Patrick

 

[Jay Harris]

I was diving in Zakynthos 3 weeks ago, very little fish, predominantly lion fish. I was told that hunting the species was still forbidden in Greece.
Patrick

Thanks for the reply Patrick. It’s unfortunate Greece isn’t allowing lionfish to be culled as they will reduce native populations in very short order. Hope they don’t wait too long.

 

[Bob118]

Saw lionfish in agristi last week. Not many, but they’re there.

 

[buzzdoo]

I was diving in Zakynthos 3 weeks ago, very little fish, predominantly lion fish. I was told that hunting the species was still forbidden in Greece.
Patrick

Dive community and jurisdictions need to address the lion fish invasion.

 

[scubaozy]

Does anyone know were these lionfish came from?

From red sea, currently east mediterranean getting invaded by lionfish and pufferfish. Suez canal and ballasts are the path but real problem is the rising temperatures.

 

[scubaozy]

My son and I are planning to dive Skiathos and Skopelos islands in Greece mid July and would like to spear lionfish while there. Any suggestions on diveshops or spearing lionfish on these islands would be appreciated.

For the record, it is illegal to spear with scuba as well as at night. Your son needs to be 16 years old if using harpoon with launch mechanism. Be sure you check the link to avoid surprises:

What are the spearfishing/freediving regulations in Greece?

I might be heading to Greece this summer and am thinking of taking my freediving/spearfishing gear. What are the regulations for freediving/spearfishing in Greece? Are there any differences for non-

travel.stackexchange.com

 

[stepfen]

A bit late to the party, but to give you my 2c.
I dive in West Crete (south part of Greece) and recently I am seeing more and more lionfish. I would say 10+ per dive on average although this time of the year they are usually small.

But be very careful. Fishing (any kind of fishing including for lion fish) while on scuba is strictly forbidden here. Having ANY fishing equipment (such as harpoon, spear guns etc) near you (including in your car or on the boat) and SCUBA is a BIG NO NO here in Greece and if caught you can be in big trouble.
Checks by the coastguard if you dive alone i.e. without a dive operator are quite common at least in my area. Quite frequently they do random checks along the coast, but also other "worried" fishermen or plain people alert the coast guard when they see (any) divers to protect their catch just in case the divers do fish.
If caught you can be arrested and all equipment confiscated. The fine will be the least of your worries.

And of course NO dive operator will allow this under their supervision.

Nonetheless fishing with scuba is happening but people who do it, know how to hide (go to isolated places, bribe guards etc).

I hope these help. All the best.