What is the best way to eradicate invasive lionfish in the ocean?

[Ocean’s Piece]

I'm doing a project and trying to find the best way to get rid of invasive lionfish in the oceans. I have debated two things: spearfishing or having divers train different native species to eat lionfish. Here are some pros and cons I have thought of each solution.

Spearfishing:
Pros:
If there is a bounty placed on lionfish, it creates an initiative for divers to kill lionfish and spreads a message about the health of coral reefs and the ocean

Cons:
Seems to be ineffective based on the rate of reproduction
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Having divers train different native species:
Pros:
Seems like a more effective solution for long term reduction because it will fit lionfish in the food chain

Cons:
Dangerous, because apparently some species will start to associate the divers with food and be a big risk to safety



Let me know what y'all think is the most effective way to reduce lionfish populations.

 

[Trini2DBone]

make the a popular food to eat

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

make the a popular food to eat

Commercial use could be a good way. I know they are edible, but I am unsure if they are as much of a delicacy as other fish, but that would be an interesting way to reduce their numbers.
Then there's issues of catching them, which I believe the most feasible way is spearfishing which could be costly. Because of this, the supply chain of this fish could suffer because of a lack of commerical fishing for it, but who knows, could work.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This is a recent study that concluded bounty programs and "training" native predators to be big "DON'Ts" when trying to reduce the lionfish population.

A new study outlines the do’s and don’ts of managing invasive lionfish - News

Scientists are applying lessons learned in the Atlantic to manage expansion of lionfish in the Mediterranean.

blogs.ifas.ufl.edu

"The study notes two lionfish control strategies shown to have unintended negative consequences.

"Bounty programs where people earn money for removing lionfish can quickly exhaust their funding. “It’s unlikely that lionfish will ever be fully eradicated in areas where they have invaded, so bounty programs would need unending funds,” Harris said.

"Finally, the study documents the dangers of feeding lionfish to predators like sharks or eels, as an attempt to train predators to hunt the lionfish themselves. This practice can teach predators to associate divers with food and causes them to be aggressive around divers. “I’ve seen firsthand in many places how this has caused changes to predator behavior. They weren’t pleasant experiences! In some areas where this was tried, diver teams now have to dedicate one or more divers just to be predator look out,” Harris said."

 

[Roatan Reef]

In Roatan, even travelers can go to the Roatan marine park building and get a temporary permit to hunt Lion Fish. They Taste really good, and most of the pallapas/restaurants/bars will cook them for you.

That's my go to!

Sure...people have them in tanks and it's all well and good, hell even my LFS sells them, but they are terrible invasive species that destroy Coral!

 

[Roatan Reef]

 

[aimed]

Commercial use could be a good way. I know they are edible, but I am unsure if they are as much of a delicacy as other fish, but that would be an interesting way to reduce their numbers.
Then there's issues of catching them, which I believe the most feasible way is spearfishing which could be costly. Because of this, the supply chain of this fish could suffer because of a lack of commerical fishing for it, but who knows, could work.

They are delicious. Had lion fish pizza in bonaire, it was fantastic, and I don’t really like fish. Divers aren’t the answer. It seems like a lot of the lion fish hang out in depths to great for a normal diver.

 

[Max93]

Spear fishing and providing locals with the gear as well. My roommate from school actually did some research now works for the govt. doing this.. pretty cool stuff, lots of new delicious dishes too.

 

[LiverockRocks]

My vote was to spear them.
Highly recommend Lionfish sushi at Castaways, in Marathon, FL.
DeeeeLish!

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

This is a recent study that concluded bounty programs and "training" native predators to be big "DON'Ts" when trying to reduce the lionfish population.

A new study outlines the do’s and don’ts of managing invasive lionfish - News

Scientists are applying lessons learned in the Atlantic to manage expansion of lionfish in the Mediterranean.

blogs.ifas.ufl.edu

"The study notes two lionfish control strategies shown to have unintended negative consequences.

"Bounty programs where people earn money for removing lionfish can quickly exhaust their funding. “It’s unlikely that lionfish will ever be fully eradicated in areas where they have invaded, so bounty programs would need unending funds,” Harris said.

"Finally, the study documents the dangers of feeding lionfish to predators like sharks or eels, as an attempt to train predators to hunt the lionfish themselves. This practice can teach predators to associate divers with food and causes them to be aggressive around divers. “I’ve seen firsthand in many places how this has caused changes to predator behavior. They weren’t pleasant experiences! In some areas where this was tried, diver teams now have to dedicate one or more divers just to be predator look out,” Harris said."

Thanks for the information, ill look into the link

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

In Roatan, even travelers can go to the Roatan marine park building and get a temporary permit to hunt Lion Fish. They Taste really good, and most of the pallapas/restaurants/bars will cook them for you.

That's my go to!

Sure...people have them in tanks and it's all well and good, hell even my LFS sells them, but they are terrible invasive species that destroy Coral!

Yeah, I wonder what would be a good way to promote them in commercial markets for restaurants.

 

[ying yang]

Seen a video on lion fish just the other day on r2r,and saying they have found lionfish going deeper than a diver can go using there submarine they found them and they unsure why they going that far down as less food there amd way they hunt is wait for food to come to them then pounce,so they started examining their stomachs to see what they eating and see from that information if staying down deep or coming back up to shallower waters,only early days examining their stomachs but think they found damsel fish in some off them so that means they staying in shallower waters then going deep and coming back up shallower etc

 

[ying yang]

Sunday 10/30 at 9pm central time/10p Eastern

On Nova channel- Ocean invaders - one hour program on invasion of Atlantic Ocean by Lion fish

www.reef2reef.com

Post 3 is the video

 

[ying yang]

Yeah, I wonder what would be a good way to promote them in commercial markets for restaurants.

In that video above it shows locals collecting them and selling the lionfish to restaurants so they can cook and serve them to paying customers, watched a similar programme on TV years ago where they was collecting and selling them in carribean restaurants also back then,
Yeah this isn't in commercial markets I speak off,but years ago,maybe decade ago when first watched on TV,they was getting locals to catch them and showing restaurants how to remove venomous spines and how to cook safely so been going on years already.
Guess the more that pay to eat on restaurants and enjoy the fish then that would mean more demand so would probably mean more collection and markets would get involved in selling them at higher numbers

 

[PatW]

I am a recreational scuba diver. And I have dove quite a few places in the Caribbean.

First off, spear fishing is going to be ineffective except to remove lionfish at specific dive sites. Lionfish tend to be home bodies and killing individuals on frequented reefs works pretty well.

But eradication is virtually hopeless.

First off, the lionfish seem to have been introduced in southern Florida. And I would hazard that they were fish released by reef aquarists who had gotten tired of that fish. Virtually every popular reef fish has been seen in southern FL waters. It is just that none of the others has as yet reached epidemic proportions.

But eradication by spear fishing is not going to be effective. Scuba divers are pretty much limited to 140’ and lionfish can and will go deeper (but most are in relatively shallow water). Also recreational divers dive a small percentage of the reef‘s area. To eradicate the fish, you have to get 100% coverage and get every fish. It just is not happening.

I have seen the following pattern with lionfish.

Initially, you see a few lionfish on a reef.

In a year or so, you get a population explosion and they are really abundant. After about 3 years, the lion fish population declines. They are still there but in far lower numbers. The large predators seem to eventually figure out that lion fish are tasty and how to take them. Lion fish present the Spines in their fins and tails to a predator. And they are well protected from a rear attack. If a predator can get them head on, the spines fold against the body and it is game over.

A large Nassau grouper was observed and filmed hectoring a lion fish until it got him in a heads on situation and then *gulp*.

 

[areefer01]

Divers. Usually free as we get to blow some bubbles and we prefer natural reef animals vs invasive.

Edit: side note there is one negative with divers and that is their buoyancy or lack of control. This could have a negative effect on reefs due to people being clumsy...

Mother nature. Let her work it out. Anytime humans get involved it always throws a wrench into it and makes matters worse. We think A will happen but B and C usually does and before you know it we have a bigger problem.

A large Nassau grouper was observed and filmed hectoring a lion fish until it got him in a heads on situation and then *gulp*.

I recall reading and seeing the related video. However it isn't the norm. Would be nice though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Let me know what y'all think is the most effective way to reduce lionfish populations.

Start a rumor that ground up Lionfish bones are a cure for cancer, and anything else that ails you. .