You can now buy lionfish in some restaurants here. Said to taste something like chicken, though I've not tried it myself.
Lionfish/DM's don't care!
- Thread starter alohagal
- Start date
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Tastes Like Chicken! Lionfish Roundup Delivers Unique Environmental Solution If they're good enough for a top NYC and Chicago seafood menu, then why not lionfish tacos?
marcus8
Contributor
Rest assured Aloha gal that not all dms in Coz are taking that stance. I participated in a removal just last week and felt damn good about it. My dm did a great job capturing it. I can see both sides of this argument but since the policy of the park is to eradicate, I think it's incumbent upon us divers to help with what seems to be, in the expert's eyes, a move towards health of the local marine life.
On a related note, I'd be very curious to hear from divers whom are going out on the East side dives. I know the Marine Park has mostly been seeing juveniles with a few adults. But I'd be curious to hear how they are doing on the East side of the island, if they are thriving and growing to maturity in abundance.
On a related note, I'd be very curious to hear from divers whom are going out on the East side dives. I know the Marine Park has mostly been seeing juveniles with a few adults. But I'd be curious to hear how they are doing on the East side of the island, if they are thriving and growing to maturity in abundance.
Do you also offer to tip more if they're willing to paw the marine life and put on a show for your entertainment? Grab a turtle or two... force a puffer or burfish to blow up?
Agree with it or not, the marine park in Cozumel has set a policy and informed the dive shops accordingly. They are to capture lionfish they encounter, or at the very least report the location when they surface from the dive. I'd love to see the park start doing spot checks on shops by putting divers out with different shops everyday posing as regular customers. Let them see first hand who complies with and enforces "the rules" (all of them, not just the new lionfish protocols) and who's treating the marine park's reefs like a petting zoo or ignoring the rules if that's what can get them more tips.
If you dive in marine parks you do so accepting and agreeing to follow the park rules. If you don't like them, don't dive there. It's a big ocean and there are plenty of unprotected areas where you can dive and do as you please.
Fanatic - once again you are uninformed and only coming here to trash Cozumel as you did after Wilma, which was 4 years ago ... And it's been over 3 years since your last trip by your own admission. FYI.... There IS a protocol for DM's to report and capture ALL lionfish.
smellzlikefish
Contributor
The fact that the Carribean has an invasive species doesn't really concern me, either. These DM's had the same attitude I have when I look around at Hawaii's reefs and see the countless invasive species here. It sucks, but now that the cat is out of the bag, they are here to stay. The only ways to get rid of invasive species are 1) catch them early or 2) introduce another species that eats them. Beyond that, some costly management might help reduce the population, but as soon as the money runs out for the management projects, the invasive population will recover.
Do you know if the park authorities are doing any follow-up to regularly remind/enforce the protocol with DMs and shop management? With the examples noted by Alohagal and psycho, I'm wondering what, if any, consequences or repercussions there could be for these DMs and the shops they work for if they are choosing to not follow "the rules."
It's DMs like this that give Cozumel a bad name. I really don't think they are the norm, but if that's the experience someone has then that's the impression they'll be left with. (and go home to relay to other divers...)
K_girl
Contributor
Well, man has successfully wiped out or nearly wiped out other species of fish due to overfishing. Noaa research on the Lionfish says it will be impossible to wipe them out completely. See: http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/stressors/invasivespecies/lionfish/2008/welcome.html. But I think at a minimum, we can at least slow it down until nature can catch-up a little bit and develop its own predator. Man may be the only known predator of the lionfish at this time in the Atlantic/Carribean. I think that the best way to handle some who may be apathetic to the situation is to persuade them that removal means one less invasive species, and who knows, maybe you prevented hundreds and maybe thousands more of these fish being created. And reporting provides a valuable tool and only costs a little time.
By the way, here is some info on the introduction of the lionfish to the Carribean region:
"This introduction was most likely caused when a hurricane destroyed an aquarium in southern Florida. DNA from captured lionfish in this region shows that they all originated from the same six or seven fish."
Source: Lionfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also from the same source about predators: "The lionfish have very few natural predators, but the grouper and other lionfish have been found with lionfish remains in their stomachs."
I don't think anyone knows yet if the groupers in the Atlantic/Carribean have tapped into lionfish as a source of food.
Be sure to report an Atlantic or Carribean Lionfish sighting at:
CCFHR :: Lionfish :: Report a Lionfish sighting
I sighted, photographed and helped to capture a Lionfish in Florida last month and also reported it. I know the plan was to destroy the fish and that did not bother me. If we can educate people that removal or killing of the fish does help in some way, I'm sure any removal will be helpful. We need to persuade as many people as possible that even though the fish is "pretty" and fun to photograph, we should do everything we can to reduce their numbers. The Lionfish is a vicious predator. They've been reported to feed on damselfish, anthias, cardinal fish, shrimp and other invertibrates, and crustaceans. Their stomachs can stretch to 30 times their original size to feed. With a reduction of as much as 79% of some fish populations at research sites in the Bahamas being attributed to the lionfish. Source: http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/documents/morrisetal_2009.pdf
By the way, here is some info on the introduction of the lionfish to the Carribean region:
"This introduction was most likely caused when a hurricane destroyed an aquarium in southern Florida. DNA from captured lionfish in this region shows that they all originated from the same six or seven fish."
Source: Lionfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also from the same source about predators: "The lionfish have very few natural predators, but the grouper and other lionfish have been found with lionfish remains in their stomachs."
I don't think anyone knows yet if the groupers in the Atlantic/Carribean have tapped into lionfish as a source of food.
Be sure to report an Atlantic or Carribean Lionfish sighting at:
CCFHR :: Lionfish :: Report a Lionfish sighting
I sighted, photographed and helped to capture a Lionfish in Florida last month and also reported it. I know the plan was to destroy the fish and that did not bother me. If we can educate people that removal or killing of the fish does help in some way, I'm sure any removal will be helpful. We need to persuade as many people as possible that even though the fish is "pretty" and fun to photograph, we should do everything we can to reduce their numbers. The Lionfish is a vicious predator. They've been reported to feed on damselfish, anthias, cardinal fish, shrimp and other invertibrates, and crustaceans. Their stomachs can stretch to 30 times their original size to feed. With a reduction of as much as 79% of some fish populations at research sites in the Bahamas being attributed to the lionfish. Source: http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/documents/morrisetal_2009.pdf
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alohagal
Contributor
I am happy to report:
Second dive today our DM Jose, from Blue Angel, spotted, captured and bagged a juvenile lionfish to take home to his collection. Lionfish captured on San Francisco reef. He is my hero! I told him what happened yesterday. He thinks DM was just kidding with me and will report it. Anyway...I told him where we saw it! Also, have photos of bagged and captured lionfish from today!
Mary
Second dive today our DM Jose, from Blue Angel, spotted, captured and bagged a juvenile lionfish to take home to his collection. Lionfish captured on San Francisco reef. He is my hero! I told him what happened yesterday. He thinks DM was just kidding with me and will report it. Anyway...I told him where we saw it! Also, have photos of bagged and captured lionfish from today!
Mary
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