Should non-native lionfish be eliminated?

[Sinbad the Diver]

We have a similar issue here in the Potomac river watershed involving the snakehead. It went from an isolated pond in MD to being found in the Potomac along a 20+ mile stretch. This thing is mean, and nasty and it is sometimes referred to as fishzilla. When it was first found in the river immediately the questions began about how soon the native fish populations would be wiped out, but in the three years since the story has gone pretty cold and I've heard nothing but positive reports about bass populations in the river (we had a hydrilla infestation about 20 years ago which ended up having an amazingly beneficial effect on the river, cleaner water, more fish, etc).

I'm not trying to claim there no potential problem and I'm sure there are situations where the introduced species does wipe out the natives, but I guess I'm kinda a fence sitter from the standpoint that things seem to often balance themselves after a while (heck look at how well deer have managed to figure out how to adapt and prosper as suburbia has expanded).

Here is a Washington Post article that leans to the side of them not damaging the bass population. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100978.html

 

[ScubaDuba723]

Do any of you understand that there might be a reason why they are going there? Maybe homes are being destroyed/Global warming?? Even some of the most simple stuff can make an animal move away to find better grounds for its young. i dont think they should be destroyed. They aren't destroying anything there. 2 months ago when i went to Moorea Tahiti the Crown of thorns multiplied killing the coral the the fisherman had to eliminate them o at least cut down the their numbers. But maybe with the lionfish its another thing. Remember if its dangering humans its not their fault... remember were not even supposed to be in the water that was never meant to be. The water is home to the fish just like the land is home to us. life is always going to propose challenges (isn't that the meaning of life) you just need to find other ways around it. Here heres a good way to picture it.....

if the lionfish was too somehow live on the land it would be incredibly dangerous and die and the same for us if we lived in the water. You have just got to think outside the box really. Think about that. It might be our fault in the first place...

 

[Hank49]

I say send some huge container ships to SE Asia, pick up some large chunks of live coral reef, water, sponges fish, nudibranches, eels,....the whole shebang, keep it alive and bring it over and dump it into the Caribbean. That way we'll have the natural predator of the lionfish and the diving here will improve with all the other species that will be here.

 

[outlawaggie]

Do any of you understand that there might be a reason why they are going there? Maybe homes are being destroyed/Global warming?? Even some of the most simple stuff can make an animal move away to find better grounds for its young. i dont think they should be destroyed. They aren't destroying anything there. 2 months ago when i went to Moorea Tahiti the Crown of thorns multiplied killing the coral the the fisherman had to eliminate them o at least cut down the their numbers. But maybe with the lionfish its another thing. Remember if its dangering humans its not their fault... remember were not even supposed to be in the water that was never meant to be. The water is home to the fish just like the land is home to us. life is always going to propose challenges (isn't that the meaning of life) you just need to find other ways around it. Here heres a good way to picture it.....

if the lionfish was too somehow live on the land it would be incredibly dangerous and die and the same for us if we lived in the water. You have just got to think outside the box really. Think about that. It might be our fault in the first place...

WOW!!! Can I have some of what you are smoking?

The lionfish didn't pack up the U-Haul and move halfway around the world to the Atlantic "to find better grounds for its young.." They were released there by man. As to your comment that they aren't destroying anything did you read the article? They are expected to decimate the population of native reef fish.

 

[ScubaDuba723]

Ok first of all theres no need to act like a smart ass. Secondly I did read the article and find it very interesting " that probably escaped from a Florida fish tank, is showing up everywhere " (thats a probability not a known fact. Fish eat fish its the food chain. I never said dont try to remove them but we shouldn't kill them. we should find ways to help put them back in their own habitat. Also they aren't destroying anything there eating their wiping out species. Isn't that what we did to most animals????? I know this isn't going to be an easy job trying to get them away from the other fish but again like i said "It might be our fault in the first place..." and the quote goes with the article about some people breaking a fish tank''. Ok i admit i was wrong about the young thing i partly read the article then but still, did you get the overall picture?

btw seriously "WOW!!! Can I have some of what you are smoking?

The lionfish didn't pack up the U-Haul and move halfway around the world to the Atlantic " Ya think??? smart one dont try that again.

 

[wardric]

Ok first of all theres no need to act like a smart ass. Secondly I did read the article and find it very interesting " that probably escaped from a Florida fish tank, is showing up everywhere " (thats a probability not a known fact. Fish eat fish its the food chain. I never said dont try to remove them but we shouldn't kill them. we should find ways to help put them back in their own habitat. Also they aren't destroying anything there eating their wiping out species. Isn't that what we did to most animals????? I know this isn't going to be an easy job trying to get them away from the other fish but again like i said "It might be our fault in the first place..." and the quote goes with the article about some people breaking a fish tank''. Ok i admit i was wrong about the young thing i partly read the article then but still, did you get the overall picture?

btw seriously "WOW!!! Can I have some of what you are smoking?

The lionfish didn't pack up the U-Haul and move halfway around the world to the Atlantic " Ya think??? smart one dont try that again.

I agree with you. No need to be rude to the poor lionfishes that we evil humans put there in the first place. Instead of killing them, we should instead ask them politely to swim back to their place of origin. We should even provide them food stations along the way. They should find their way, it's just a big ocean anyway, like some said, right?



On another note, here's an interesting article about an invasive species accident

Fish flies out of lake, breaks Arkansas teen's jaw - Yahoo! Canada News

 

[The Kraken]

What does one usually do when one finds a malignant, cancerous tumor?

the K

 

[archman]

What does one usually do when one finds a malignant, cancerous tumor?

THANK YOU.

 

[Hank49]

THANK YOU.

ARCH !! Long time I never see you here amigo. Statesboro, Georgia? As in the Allman Bros (actually Elmore James) Statesboro Blues? What the hell is a marine biologist scientist doing there? You hook up with a Georgia peach who convinced you that she was better than diving for sea cucumbers? KILL THE LIONFISH

 

[archman]

I'm only an hour from the coast... and there are craploads of marine biologists in Statesboro.

And no woman will ever prevent me from sticking sea cucumbers in my pants while diving.

There are plenty of exotic species here too. They suck.