Lionfish Hunter PADI certification

[BackAfter30]

I totally agree. I’d add that I’d also like to avoid injuries to me or the folks around me, from either a spear or lion fish.

All of the replies so far have already given me more knowledge on the subject than I started with, which is the benefit of a community like this.

I haven't been to Jamaica since pre-COVID times. Then, a license was required to hunt LF. I believe a cert was required to get the license. I want to believe the the license requirement isn't a money grab, but instead, relates to a real effort by JA to improve the health of the reefs.
I don't know about CTI, but at CSA you'll see some DMs hunting on every dive. You can also get your catch cooked up for you at Seagrapes (beach grill). Maybe CTI has a similar capability.

 

[johndiver999]

You mean if they are carrying a spear? Maybe.
I don't like to be around people with weapons who do not have some weapons training; that goes for the gun range as well as the dive boat.

Formal training for the use of spearguns, is very rare. I think most just pick it up by doing, however I too am nervous around strangers who are carrying weapons.

I can't begin to count the number of times I have looked up, only to see a loaded speargun pointing at me; perhaps most disappointing is when it is my speargun that I have carelessly set it down in an unsafe position. I generally remind people not to point their speargun at me before we dive, sometimes it works.

 

[Bigbella]

A PADI Lionfish "Hunter" Certification? Really?

"A 'Lionfish hunt' for $65 or spring for the more in-depth study and certification ($165)?"

Paid less for my open-water, back in the day.

There was a recent thread, speculating why there was such a recent downturn in scuba participation. I would venture that inane nickel and diming may have something to do with it.

A "Gringo tax," if there ever was one.

I have been pronging Pterois -- no, "hunting," because they're such a challenge -- a number of the invasive lionfish species, most everywhere warm that I have ever worked or vacationed, for decades -- even have a cookbook or two on my shelf.

I aced-out the last one, in Florida, with an absentminded swipe of a lobster tickler and must have eaten dozens of them over the years. Most everyone nowadays seems to be using EMT shears for line cutting -- perfect. Wear some oyster or heavy gloves, and just trim away all of the fins, including the oft-forgotten nasty anal fins, and prepare as you would any other mild white fish.

Ceviche was always tasty, quick and dirty.

There -- saved you 165.00.

I am, though, breathlessly awaiting the course and, yes, embroidered patch for donning socks, rock-boots and hoods (which always threw me) -- probably to be offered in 2023 . . .

 

[100days-a-year]

Will there be discounts available for a combo Lionfish hunter/ Master Diver course? AFAF

 

[scubidvr]

So far, all of the data indicates that this is an effective strategy.

A new study outlines the do’s and don’ts of managing invasive lionfish - News

Scientists are applying lessons learned in the Atlantic to manage expansion of lionfish in the Mediterranean.

blogs.ifas.ufl.edu

Lionfish Research - this article is about an on-going project in FGBNMS to study this very issue. I have been participating in it since 2015. Interestingly, we were not out for almost two years and the population had not grown that much in number, but the fish being removed were larger.

Effectiveness of removals of the invasive lionfish: how many dives are needed to deplete a reef?

Introduced Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) have spread throughout the greater Caribbean and are associated with a number of negative impacts on reef ecosystems. Human interventions, in the form of culling activities, are becoming common ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Thanks for sharing the articles! I have been worried about divers feeding the fish and the oh so food motivated predators.

 

[Rivertown Rider]

Not the lamest card on Earth but in contention. It seems an undue burden to require certification to spear an invasive species when certification is rarely required to spear other species.
Sounds like a money grab.

I wanted to Lionfish hunt in Grand Cayman but was denied because I didn’t have the certification. I agree it’s not rocket science.

 

[Belzelbub]

I wanted to Lionfish hunt in Grand Cayman but was denied because I didn’t have the certification. I agree it’s not rocket science.

That is ridiculous.

Good news (or bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that you live in FL, and there are plenty of lionfish to hunt in FL. Never heard of any of the FL ops requiring a LF Hunter cert.

 

[Jafo19D]

Since my last post on this thread I’ve been doing some lionfish hunting in the DR, San Andrés and Cartagena. Here’s what I’ve learned

1. Barbs are bad, very bad so be careful
2. Be careful not to damage the reef
3. If you’re chasing one in the reef watch out for one darting out, almost got stung in the face
4. Like in normal hunting be aware what’s around and behind your target
5. It doesn’t matter how you cook it, it will be good.
6. Slightly overweight yourself so you won’t have any issues getting into those rocks towards the end of the dive.

If you can shoot a rubber bad off your fingers you can shoot pole spear, the certification is a waste

 

[Jafo19D]

PADINis going to offer a cert called the MiLF, Master Lionfish cert

 

[Belzelbub]

5. It doesn’t matter how you cook it, it will be good.

This. I eat a lot of seafood. Lionfish is easily my favorite.

Oh, yeah. Totally agree on the barbs. Unfortunately, some of the best tips (5 prong) have barbs. Lots of barbless 3 prong tips, but more scarce in 5. You can flatten the barbs with a hammer if you can’t find any barbless tips.