Killing lionfish, does it work?

[Brian Pasic]

Question for fellow divers. Lionfish are a gruesome plague on the environment but here is my concern. The questions are does it work to achieve a particular result? The "it's cool and they taste good" may be viable in Florida coast, but the narrower concern is should all of us allow this specific exception, and how come? I'm not saying we should or shouldn't, just searching some answers.

 

[fdog]

No.

They're pretty enthusiastic about kiling lionfish in Cozumel, but:Lionfish in Coz


All the best, James

 

[Rhone Man]

I'd give a pretty unequivocal "no" as well.

But it allows otherwise self righteous conservation minded PADI instructors to carry spear guns and blow the wherewithal out of some fish, so it is all good.

 

[Doc]

Killing lionfish, does it work?

Mean are they dead if you kill them? Yes.

Does it diminish the population? Yes, by 1.

Does it have any impact? Be serious. No.

It has given divers and DM's with no developed naturalist skills a raison d'etre

 

[Lead_carrier]

It's kinda like asking if you stay with the NDL's according to the tables, are you exempt for getting DCS.

Nope, but it don't hurt.

 

[highdesert]

It's an excellent alternative to doing nothing, IMHO.

 

[Scubagolf]

Can't hurt if the goal is to reduce the LF population. I did 20 dives with a particular dive guide on Roatan during one week early in March who averaged 8 LF kills per dive.

 

[TMHeimer]

I would say NO, even though I have no experience with Lionfish. I doubt it's possible to get any concrete data on what % of total Lionfish that are say, off Florida's East Coast have been or can be killed by divers. I figure divers can mess up two things: Busting up living coral (as it is general knowledge that coral is dying at an alarming rate worldwide by other factors). Also, divers can mess up reefs by taking stuff off them (shells, fish, dead coral, etc.) at heavily populated dive sites. This may mean the particular site is now not as attractive for future divers, though it probably has little or no effect on total populations--probably much like divers killing Lionfish. But aside from those two things, I think any action by divers regarding Lionfish or any other aquatic life is like a needle in a haystack compared to the global situation (ei. pollution, commercial fishing, etc.). In this case as in others, "think globally, Act globally".

 

[freewillie]

In the case of lion fish it is more of trying to control an invasive species that otherwise has no other natural predator. Without divers killing lion fish one might argue the lion fish are able to kill off many endemic species.

It is unlikely to completely eradicate them but IMO is of some benefit to at least try and control the population.

 

[freewillie]

In the case of lion fish it is more of trying to control an invasive species that otherwise has no other natural predator. Without divers killing lion fish one might argue the lion fish are able to kill off many endemic species.

It is unlikely to completely eradicate them but IMO is of some benefit to at least try and control the population.