Lionfish

[LakerPride]

Not sure if this is the proper place for this but can anyone point me to some good info on collecting Lionfish? It appears I will soon be moving to North Carolina and I'd like to take a few off the wrecks. I lived down there for about 4 years and saw them frequently on the wrecks off shore. Also I asked a Wildlife Enforcement Officer and a Marine Fisheries Officer and both said they were unsure but thought they were unregulated. So my next question is can I market them to sell after I catch and kill them? I have seen it on the menu in several restaurants now and I wonder where they are getting it. I have googled it and not come up with much.

 

[buddhasummer]

Not sure if this is the proper place for this but can anyone point me to some good info on collecting Lionfish? It appears I will soon be moving to North Carolina and I'd like to take a few off the wrecks. I lived down there for about 4 years and saw them frequently on the wrecks off shore. Also I asked a Wildlife Enforcement Officer and a Marine Fisheries Officer and both said they were unsure but thought they were unregulated. So my next question is can I market them to sell after I catch and kill them? I have seen it on the menu in several restaurants now and I wonder where they are getting it. I have googled it and not come up with much.

No idea sorry but try the "Underwater Hunting" forum I'm sure someone there will know. Good luck.

 

[MX727]

Lionfish Research Program | Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)

 

[LakerPride]

Thanks MX that was great info, now I just have to find out if it's legal to sell it. I know they are encouraging the capture/killing of them on the NC wrecks and there was a NOAA sponsored roundup last year. I just don't want to end up getting in a bind especially because I work in Law Enforcement, yet no one can give me a for sure answer.

 

[MX727]

I'd contact these guys for those answers: NCDENR - NCDMF - Homepage

 

[Bratface]

Contact Discovery Diving and Olympus Dive Shop in Beaufort, NC. I know they go out on lionfish round ups. I had the opportunity to talk about their lionfish situation with them when I was vacationing with my family in NC last August.

I used to live in NC also and saw my first lionfish on one of the wrecks about 7 or 8 years ago. Wish we knew then what we know now. We have an effective program in place here in the islands, the CORE foundation. You can find it on-line. We use pole spears or spear gun with a specially designed spear head that will get one almost every time. We are also taking the fish to the eels holes and find they are eager to eat them. Don't know if they are hunting them on their own.

 

[Bob DBF]

From NCDENR - Commercial Fishing License System

On July 1, 1999 the Division of Marine Fisheries changed to a new license system. This change was a requirement of the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act and allows the Division to more accurately assess the impact of fishing activities and allows only commercial fishermen to sell their catch.

and

The Standard Commercial Fishing License is an annual license for commercial fishermen who harvest and sell fish, shrimp, crab or any marine species, except menhaden, and shellfish. To harvest menhaden and shellfish, fishermen must elect endorsements to their Standard Commercial Fishing License, or purchase a Shellfish License. To be eligible for this license, an individual or business must have a current/valid Standard or Retired Standard Commercial Fishing License for the previous license year. This license can be transferred and assigned. A commercial fishing vessel registration will be required for fishermen who use boats to harvest seafood. Fishermen holding this license can only sell their catch to a licensed fish dealer.

Cost $200 North Carolina residents

Now just how many Lionfish were you planning to take?



Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[DandyDon]

I used to live in NC also and saw my first lionfish on one of the wrecks about 7 or 8 years ago. Wish we knew then what we know now. We have an effective program in place here in the islands, the CORE foundation. You can find it on-line. We use pole spears or spear gun with a specially designed spear head that will get one almost every time. We are also taking the fish to the eels holes and find they are eager to eat them. Don't know if they are hunting them on their own.

Related...

Years ago there used to be a dive site on Bonaire that had many morays, over the years locals and divemasters started feeding them, they got bolder and bolder and associated divers with food, to the point that they got so aggresive and trained that when divers would show up at their lairs they would swim out to them, pretty soon they got to the point that when divers were nearby they would swim out to them, eventually they got so aggresive they would swim up from the bottom to any dive boat that arrived.

The marine park killed them all after it was determined they were too aggresive to allow to live. Fish don't learn to hunt, they learn to associate free handouts.

 

[LakerPride]

Thanks for the info guys, I have some decisions to make. I have the chance to either move to the Morehead City area of NC which I have lived there before or I can take a position in St Thomas USVI. I want to take the one in STT but my wife is not keen on the idea. She came with me when I was working in the UK and she hated living outside the US. She is afraid STT will be the same. So we have some decisions to make. I gotta figure out a way to convince her it's a good move!

 

[drrich2]

What did she miss about the U.S., and what sort of things does she like to do? How is she likely to react to a cistern-based septic system, which I believe some there have?

Are you familiar with cost-of-living concerns in St. Thomas?

Richard.