Lionfish... threat, menace, or just something new to amuse you while diving ?

[Doc]

Lionfish are now all over the Caribbean, or soon will be.

I saw this in a thread recently, and it struck a chord with me...

May I ask what is the point to this, other than consuming peoples dive with trying to spear Lionfish rather than appreciate the reef life? Spearing them will unfortunately change nothing in the long run... But then again, if it tickles your/ or anybodies fancy, why not I guess..

Scientists seem to be in universal agreement:

• The principal environ of the Lionfish is far deeper than our recreational dive limits.

• The number of Lionfish that a recreational diver notices is a microscopic percentage of the total population.

• Of the total number of Lionfish thus observed it is estimated that only approximately 8% are removed/killed.

I think CODMAN is on to something here in his post.


Thinking in terms of vibrant tropical Caribbean environments....

The quality of tropical (warm water/pretty fish) DM's can often be quite marginal, certainly in terms of going to the effort of locating and identifying all of the critters that we want to see and hide from our untrained eyes.

Such marginal DMs used to be hallmarked by their behaviors such as the (open or clandestine) feeding of fish, eliciting swarms in a feeding frenzy, hoping for the delight of their guest divers. Some entertain by rolling on their backs and blowing bubbles in a smoke-ring shape.

Now, they seem to be using the spearing of Lionfish as a way to relieve their boredom, and entertain visiting guest divers.

This has spawned a spin-off hobby.... Many visiting divers who are otherwise not being entertained by observation of difficult-to-spot critters, some lacking advanced observation skills, have found a new way to make a dive interesting.

The rental shops have a new item on their shelves, a Trident Spear or sling and mesh bag. Some resorts are host sponsoring contests for quantity of kills and heaviest Lionfish.

Is this what will make Caribbean diving fun "again" for those who have, for whatever reason, either become bored with it, or never found anything to get excited about... other than a canned Shark Rodeo or Dolphin Pester?

Humans created this ecological imbalance, can humans fix this problem with their intervention?

Is that possible or is it simple hubris?

 

[Rhone Man]

Interesting spread of choices. I have posted my own personal views on Lionfish a few times, but to recap:

• spearing them may be fun, but it has no impact on population spread
• ultimately, we are just going to have to wait till they hit equilibrium and see where the chips lie
• I think spearing has been seized with gusto but it allows the normal "look don't touch crowd" to go primeval and yet keep their social conscience by imagining that they are helping some greater good
• Personally I think they are very beautiful; although I am very fearful for what may happen to the ecosystem. But I get my primeval hunter kicks a different way, so don't feel an urge to go hunt Lionfish

I don't dive with tourist operators, so I can't comment directly. But I can easily believe the "bored DMs more interested in chasing Lionfish" concern.

 

[CODMAN]

+1 here...

I'm also worried about that novice diver who rented a speargun pricking me in the thigh when he inadvertently sets it off in Mary's place swimthrough...

I'm very curious to see if any caribean fish will start feeding on lionfish. Who knows...

Interesting spread of choices. I have posted my own personal views on Lionfish a few times, but to recap:

• spearing them may be fun, but it has no impact on population spread
• ultimately, we are just going to have to wait till they hit equilibrium and see where the chips lie
• I think spearing has been seized with gusto but it allows the normal "look don't touch crowd" to go primeval and yet keep their social conscience by imagining that they are helping some greater good
• Personally I think they are very beautiful; although I am very fearful for what may happen to the ecosystem. But I get my primeval hunter kicks a different way, so don't feel an urge to go hunt Lionfish

I don't dive with tourist operators, so I can't comment directly. But I can easily believe the "bored DMs more interested in chasing Lionfish" concern.

 

[robint]

I totally agree that this has gotten waaaaay out of hand. Yes, it is okay for DMs to kill them, but killing them isn't going to do enough to control them.

I really like what the DMs at Scuba Club Cozumel are doing... they have the DMs take down a sling and kill any lionfish they see, bring them back onboard during SI and prep them to take back down on 2nd dive. The big ones are cut up and the small ones are left whole. Then on the second dive the DM introduces the meat to predatory fish - grouper, eels, etc. We saw the DMs do this every day and it was quite interesting. The eels always sniffed it first, then wolfed it down. The grouper would just gobble immediately. The point that they are trying to make is that once the native fish realize that the lionfish are food and tasty,, they will start to hunt them. No, we don't think they will eat the adults due to the poisonous barbs, but they will hunt and eat the smaller ones and juvies which are less toxic. This is all based on studies of the lionfish in the Paciific ocean where they are held in check. It will not happen overnight, but I think it is the best place to start.... we don't need to introduce an "outside" predator, we have plenty of fish in the Caribbean who will eat them... once they learn to associate the smell and yummy.

Just my 2 cents.
robin

 

[Cave Diver]

None of the above.

 

[BDSC]

Lionfish have been found off the coast of NC on some of the wrecks for several years now. I've been out there and seen them. Guess what. There are still plenty of small fish around. Plenty. I don't know that I've seen anything different other than now you see lionfish when in the past you didn't.

In the long run, I think the entire lionfish hoopla is going to end up being much ado about nothing.

 

[Doc]

None of the above.

Oh, do enlighten us, then.

 

[Damselfish]

Choice #13 - a way to entertain us in the casino. (Seriously - was just in Vegas and saw a "Lucky Lionfish" slot machine.)

 

[Crush]

#14 - declare them an endangered species (rumoured to have aphrodisiac properties) and ban all trade in and hunting of lionfish. The black market, sensing a potential windfall, will begin a lionfish trade in earnest, selling to aquariums worldwide as well as to those looking for a little "boost." The problem will be taken care of in no time. It might even give the rhino a break from being hunted...

 

[CODMAN]

Wow, that's interesting. I have no clue if it will work, but at least it's smarter than trying to eradicate the population by spear...

I totally agree that this has gotten waaaaay out of hand. Yes, it is okay for DMs to kill them, but killing them isn't going to do enough to control them.

I really like what the DMs at Scuba Club Cozumel are doing... they have the DMs take down a sling and kill any lionfish they see, bring them back onboard during SI and prep them to take back down on 2nd dive. The big ones are cut up and the small ones are left whole. Then on the second dive the DM introduces the meat to predatory fish - grouper, eels, etc. We saw the DMs do this every day and it was quite interesting. The eels always sniffed it first, then wolfed it down. The grouper would just gobble immediately. The point that they are trying to make is that once the native fish realize that the lionfish are food and tasty,, they will start to hunt them. No, we don't think they will eat the adults due to the poisonous barbs, but they will hunt and eat the smaller ones and juvies which are less toxic. This is all based on studies of the lionfish in the Paciific ocean where they are held in check. It will not happen overnight, but I think it is the best place to start.... we don't need to introduce an "outside" predator, we have plenty of fish in the Caribbean who will eat them... once they learn to associate the smell and yummy.

Just my 2 cents.
robin