Think that was established in the first zillion responses.
Lionfish in Cozumel
- Thread starter deborahdelamar
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Think that was established in the first zillion responses.
deco_martini
Contributor
Its been explained to you over and over again. Perhaps a simpler answer that doesn't involve ecology or biology will be more easily understood albeit less correct:
The Lionfish worked for Countrywide Home Loans and the Wall Street Banks that bought their junk loans as securities.
Hank49
Contributor
I mentioned this in another thread. Cozumel and Belize have divemasters leading groups on a daily basis on the reefs. Why not arm each one with a small Hawaiian sling? If each DM can kill 3 or 4 per dive, it may help keep the numbers in check at least on the favorite dive sites. Explain to the divers what's going on before hand, shoot them and leave them for the crabs. Or save and eat them. Whatever. In Belize we're in the very early stages of the invasion and can learn something. We know they'll multiply to disproportionate numbers if nothing is done, as happened in the Bahamas.
I've talked about this with officers in Belize Fisheries. I'll follow up on this in a week or so.
I've talked about this with officers in Belize Fisheries. I'll follow up on this in a week or so.
Hemlon
Contributor
Maybe it's because most of us have stopped reading his rambling pointless posts very thoroughly. Don't feed the trolls, folks.
SeaSerpent
New
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
Yesterday, I spoke with a DM here in Cozumel that works with the park department. He told me that the DMs in Cozumel have permission to take the lionfish on sight. If a diver sees a lionfish, he should report it to the nearest DM, or Instructor, or other authorized personal, who is instructed to take it out immediately. Then, report it to the Park National. The don't want a delay that would be caused by reporting first, then trying to find it again to capture it.
Why just the DMs? Why not let every diver just nail them - would be more effective. Running around to find someone "in authority" seems a waste of time to me and you could lose the fish in the process.
SeaSerpent
New
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
The requirement is one DM for every 8 divers in the marine park, although many time the ratio can go as low as 4 divers to 1 DM, or even 1 to 1. It's really not a a problem trying to find one.
Still it would be disruptive to the dive if you have to keep distracting the DM with clean up tasks. This problem is only going to be mitigated with aggresive approaches to eliminating as many lionfish as is possible. If you want to maximize the effort I would allow every diver the right to kill a lionfish on sight. In fact I would encourage the promotion of hunting expeditions for divers with relatively safe slings. I'd bet it would be more popular than you'd think and might help out the dive operators with sling sales, if they filled the boats with organized hunts, etc. Hey, they do rattlesnake hunts in the Southwest, why not lionfish hunts in Coz?
Do you really think a free for all with divers of all experience levels and all mentalities participating is a good idea? The majority are there for a week, 5-6 days of diving. Are they really going to be willing to spend the time to learn about lionfish behavior and how to safely catch them? Who's going to teach these skills to hundreds of divers every week? This is more then what can be covered in a dive briefing on the way out to the park. Without any training you're just asking for trouble.
Over the years I've seen enough divers in Cozumel that I want to either slap for their lack of reef respect, or stay clear of because of their erratic diving skills. I for one do not want to be on a high traffic site like any of the Palancar sites or Santa Rosa with these same people if they're allowed to wear thick gloves and possible even have slings.
Invasive species or not, it is still a marine park and the the reef and other 99% of species deserve to remain protected. Allowing any random diver to catch or kill lionfish means allowing every diver to break pretty much all the park rules. While 60-70% of them would likely still use their heads, the remainder would use that as license to do pretty much whatever they want and if questioned the answer would be, "I swear I saw a lionfish and was just trying to get it."
Diving in Cozumel is a group activity. 6-8 divers per DM and although you're spread out a bit, you are basically following the leader. DM's regularly call the group together to show them something, or a diver gets the groups attention for that purpose. It would be no different. See a lionfish, get the DM's attention while you stay with it.
Similar threads
