Sale of lionfish

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Saw this on Cozumel Insider:

Capture and Sale of Lionfish Permitted
The fishing industry has been given permission to capture and sell lionfish for commercial and private use. The National Fisheries Commission has issued permits to the fishing cooperatives in order to benefit the fisheries with a new source of income, and also to benefit the reefs in the National Park. The permits are for “by catch” when the fishermen are hunting other fish. The fishermen have to report the numbers and types of fish they have caught, including lionfish (which have a special category). This way statistics can be gathered to support permits for hunting lionfish exclusively.


I'm hoping to see some lionfish on the menu next month. I understand that they're difficult to prep, but are a great tasting fish. I would encourage others to try the fish if you see it in a restaurant. Creating a market for them would help reduce their population and take some pressure off other popular fish like grouper.

PH

 

[scubawife]

EXCELLENT!!!!! I hope this does lead to issuing fishing permits exclusively for lionfish soon!

 

[CZMDM]

Just to clarify: DM's are allowed to kill or take Lionfish within the marine park. Fishing is still forbidden within the park.

Just a question: A fishing permit allows you to take any fish or crustation that is in season. What would be so special to have a permit that is Lionfish specific?

 

[scubawife]

I found the article in a Mexican paper. The permits allow the commercial sale of lionfish bycatch. Numbers have to be reported and if or when it's determined that there is a sufficient demand and supply, Conapesca will look at listing lionfish as a catch and issuing permits specifically for lionfish.

Permits of lionfish as it's own catch and not a bycatch would be more incentive for fisherman to go after them specifically. Being able to sell what they happen to get while pursuing another catch is great. Enough demand for lionfish to make it a catch on its own would be more helpful to ridding the reef of them, and it could help with allowing species that are popular eats and who's populations are thinning to get a better chance of replenishing.

Still NO FISHING IN THE MARINE PARK, as it should be. I doubt anyone is dumb enough to think that the lionfish are only in the park anyway. Attacking the population anywhere in the area is going to reduce the population and that's a good thing.

The new rules don't change anything for the DMs. They only apply to the fishing coop.

 

[Texas Torpedo]

I'd hazard a guess that the lionfish population is currently lower in the marine park than other comparable locations around the island due to hunting and diver activity / pressure. I've seen and speared more lionfish up north than in the marine park with the exception of the ship pier. Last Sunday those of us who went out with the marine park brought back 30+ from a single dive under the punta maya pier. That count does not include those that we couldn't get to after swimming into rocks, wounded, or eaten by other marine life.. If we were not collecting / bagging them, the total might have been well over 50 killed.

At this rate, there should be plenty available to eat in the near future.. And they taste great.. Similar to hogfish, IMO..