Major lionfish hunt launched

Abstract

The red lionfish, a native of the eastern Pacific, appears to be spreading rapidly around Florida, the eastern seaboard and the Caribbean to growing alarm from marine biologists. The fish feeds on native coral reef species, worrying conservationists, and its fearsome venomous spines seem to deter most potential predators. Alarm about the impact of the growing numbers of the fish prompted managers of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary last month to take the unprecedented step of licensing hundreds of divers to catch the fish in the reserve where no other species are allowed to be taken. “We want people to get out there and kill as many as possible,” says Sean Morton, superintendent of the reserve. Researchers are not sure how the fish got to the Atlantic and Caribbean but some suggest they may have arrived from a damaged beachside aquarium during hurricane Andrew in 1992. To encourage divers to hunt the fish, local competitions have been set up to see who can catch the most. The Environment Education Foundation hosted its third ‘lionfish derby’ last month off Florida, outside the reserve, with more than $3,000 in prize money for the team catching the most fish — 109 were killed. In the waters around the Bahamas, which don't have the same protection as Florida Keys, more than 2,000 lionfish have been killed over the past two years. “People have a sense that the waters they love are being invaded,” says Renata Lana, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This year, the agency launched an ‘eat lionfish’ campaign aimed at creating a market for them in seafood restaurants and thus further prompting divers to hunt them. NOAA calls the lionfish a “delicious, delicately flavoured fish” with a taste and texture similar to grouper, snapper or hogfish. A few restaurants in the US and the Caribbean are now serving it. But “it is tough for me to get,” says chef James Clark in South Carolina. “Sometimes fishermen do not want to handle it on their boat.” Scuba divers are experimenting with new ways to eliminate the lionfish, developing new spears to catch the fish. “Six months ago, I hadn't seen one,” says Jason Doty, in Florida. “Now I will kill 12 in one dive.” But, in spite of the battle, researchers fear that the lionfish could become one of the worst marine invasions of an alien species in history. We probably cannot completely eradicate lionfish. Only nature can do that, says one researcher. Scientists agree hunting may help, but it won't halt the incredible population boom of lionfish that has seen densities increase 700 per cent from 2004 to 2008. “The government is promoting lionfish as a do-good dish that helps to balance ocean ecology,” says Lana. It is one of the few examples of a species that cannot be overfished. “It's one of the few fish people can eat out of existence with a clear conscience”, she says.