Lionfish Eradication: Recipes, Killing Techniques, and Information

[Orlando Eric]

Two Lionfish yesterday in Jupiter Hid as I approached even more skitish then normal reef fishes would have. I waited one of them out. The other went into a 4-6"dia pipe on the Miss Jenny. The pipe had a hole about three feet down it and I stuck the spear tip in it carefully making a tiny clink sound. The Lionfish popped out the end he had retreated into and looked into the pipe. I busted him with all three prongs midships! I used my much too short little knife on his brain to make him a good lionfish. I tried feeding the Grouper around but they were not interested.

 

[Orlando Eric]

I found it interesting they are starting to hide. Before when I encountered them they not only hung out in the open on the reef but would turn to and face you totally unafraid. I am guessing they are getting skittish having divers poke at them in this area.

 

[Chugwhump]

Uh-Oh.
They are still dumb as the rocks and sponges they hang around off of Broward.
I will say the big ones seem to stay in the holes.
I just approach them v e r y s l o w l y and with an indirect gaze.
Big ones, JBL D-5 speargun with a trident tip.
Medium ones, Liontamer
Small ones, collection net and smash.

Chug
Guesses all the really good divers will call me a "Stroke".

 

[REEF HQ]

Check out this video of the winners of REEF's last lionfish derby in August. They caught 289 lionfish in a day with a captain and two free-divers with nets!

[video=youtube;605SKDthnNY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=605SKDthnNY&feature=related[/video]

PS (Next REEF lionfish derby is November 5th at Hurricane Hole in Key West! More info here!)

 

[DM Gary]

Just got back from Bonaire and spotted at least 11 lionfish in 19 dives. Would have been nice to have a sling spear and knife to dispatch a few of them.
I'd like to see the marine parks ease up on the rules regarding spearing these guys. Strict rules and a real certification class? Like if you're caught spearing anything else you aren't allowed back in the park for a period of time or maybe never. Minimum of AOW and 100 dives to take the course which is taught by local operators not some joke specialty class anyone can sign up for. I like the idea of a $10 per week permit as money always makes things a little more interesting to politicians. Some of the money could go to coral preservation projects. The local governments have to realize that divers aren't going to shell out thousands of dollars to come to their countries to see a reef dominated with one type of fish.
People created this problem and we are the only way to create a solution. The best way is to make the things desired on the dinner plate. While the derbies may do some good, I think the problem is far too big at this point to be controlled or even dented with once a month events. Imagine how many responsible divers could remove from the reef if we were taking two thirds of the 19 I saw.

 

[njedrn]

​

Just my 2 cents...
​

 

[Capt Scotty]

My solution for the problem....Shark Diver : Shark Diving : Swimming With Sharks: Lionfish Invasive Species Solutions? You Bet!

 

[stcroix]

Here on St Croix anybody can carry a spear with diveboat permission. Most of the DM's do, and there's usually another diver or two carrying per boat, usually a local known to the crew. Not uncommon to see shoredivers with spears as well.

We are in the midst of of a lionfish spike. After months of low numbers due to culling, local diver's are reporting seeing 3 to 6 per dive, where earlier it was 1 to 3 at well travelled sites. The local LF hunters just pulled 80+ from a site they usually on got 20 or so, but hadn't been back to it in two months.

Would be nice to know the SCIENCE behind the outbreak. Do LF have a season? Did the warm hurricane waters if the fall spike larval production and distribution?

Btw...if you're on Facebook, like the LET team in Curaçao. Their Lionfish Elimination Team posts regularly and has developed a lf canister called the zookeeper to hold lf as they dive.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Perhaps they are snowbird lionfish?

Tom and I pretty much only beach dive or dive from our kayaks here, but we never get in the water without at the very least our LED (Lionfish Eradication Device). We even take it when we're just freediving.

 

[royal grama]

i just dropped off like 15 lions at the BHB last night so they could protect our reef from queen angels!