New Lionfish Eradication Effort in Cayman

[Deac in the Wake]

Led by DiveTech:

(Reuters) - More than 300 local scuba divers have been certified to catch red lionfish in a race to prevent the invasive and voracious species from consuming all the young and small fish on the Cayman Islands' famous corals reefs.

DiveTech, a local diving operation, is running a boat each week to specifically catch the fish. Licensed fishermen also collect them on regular boat trips and dives from the shore.

"We tell them, this is not a pleasure dive and they are hunting fish," said Simon Dixon, a lionfish hunter and scuba instructor for DiveTech.

Story: Local divers trained to fight lionfish invasion


It's a shame because these truly are beautiful fish. And they apparently are desired for saltwater aquariums- the guy who manages the tanks at our dive shop said the large ones can bring in over $100. It's just sad that we can't allow the ecosystem to remedy the situation itself. But if we wait, there won't be much balance to the ecosystem. It's another situation that humans created and now we have to clean up our own mess. And as usual, it's at the expense of another creature.

 

[goaliemn]

I don't know if I'd call this man made.. the aquarium was hit with a hurricane, from my understanding, and that's how the fish "escaped"

I have a non-lionfish related question.. it looks like the guy in the picture has 2 BCD inflator hoses, one on each side of his head.. Am I seeing things, or are there 2? I'm a fairly new diver, so pardon my question..

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

I don't know if I'd call this man made.. the aquarium was hit with a hurricane, from my understanding, and that's how the fish "escaped"

I have a non-lionfish related question.. it looks like the guy in the picture has 2 BCD inflator hoses, one on each side of his head.. Am I seeing things, or are there 2? I'm a fairly new diver, so pardon my question..

You see 2.. It is a dual bladder wing designed for redundancy. He is diving doubles and should one wing fail he would need the other.

 

[Cave Diver]

I don't know if I'd call this man made.. the aquarium was hit with a hurricane, from my understanding, and that's how the fish "escaped"

I have a non-lionfish related question.. it looks like the guy in the picture has 2 BCD inflator hoses, one on each side of his head.. Am I seeing things, or are there 2? I'm a fairly new diver, so pardon my question..

The hurricane theory is popular and widely distributed, but there is evidence that this has more myth than fact to it.

This is not a "new" effort in Cayman. It's been going on for probably close to a year now that I'm aware of.

The guy in the pic has on doubles and appears to be using a dual bladder wing for redundant buoyancy. That is why you see a second inflator hose, which is a hotly debated item.

 

[Deac in the Wake]

The hurricane theory is popular and widely distributed, but there is evidence that this has more myth than fact to it.

This is not a "new" effort in Cayman. It's been going on for probably close to a year now that I'm aware of.

The guy in the pic has on doubles and appears to be using a dual bladder wing for redundant buoyancy. That is why you see a second inflator hose, which is a hotly debated item.

The "new" side of it is that they are now licensing divers to take lionfish. While the eradiction effort has been going on a while, licensing is the "new" part. Sorry for the confusion.

goaliemn:Whatever the veracity of the aquarium story, when people capture and relocate species into new/foreign ecosystems, be it aquarium, zoo, or local pond, it's man-made. Given the repro rate of these fish, I think it's likely a combination of several things- perhaps an aquarium, perhaps an individual lacking foresight, perhaps they were dumped out of ballast or bilge tanks by a freighter.

 

[ScubaTigress]

suhweeeeeeeet!!! Next time I go there i'm killing me some lionfish!!! Now if only I could take the lobsters without getting fined....

 

[Drew Sailbum]

suhweeeeeeeet!!! Next time I go there i'm killing me some lionfish!!! Now if only I could take the lobsters without getting fined....

Lobster limit is three per person (limit of six per boat) per day in season. Six inch minimum tail. No gloves and no scuba gear allowed.

Licensing of lionfish hunters has been going on since shortly after they arrived in Cayman.

 

[ScubaTigress]

Lobster limit is three per person (limit of six per boat) per day in season. Six inch minimum tail. No gloves and no scuba gear allowed.

Licensing of lionfish hunters has been going on since shortly after they arrived in Cayman.

Woah, when did that change??? last I remember we couldn't grab 'em period! I got a good hunting spot with no gear

 

[Cave Diver]

Woah, when did that change??? last I remember we couldn't grab 'em period! I got a good hunting spot with no gear

It's been that way unless you're in a marine park or replenishment zone.

 

[ScubaTigress]

It's been that way unless you're in a marine park or replenishment zone.

aaaand there's the catch.