Lionfish on East Coast....?

[The Kraken]

An excellent perspective, AD!

 

[pataussiediver]

Interesting way of looking at it Adshepherd, this has occured to me too and I hear where you're coming from; But.
Just because people care about the world, it doesn't mean they are purists. I think you are coming from a different perspective when you live and I assume grew up in England or Europe.
In Australia we are still getting bombarded by these introduced species. Have you seen blackberries growing in Australia? If left unchecked on a farm, they will take over in only a few years. They choke watercourses all over the country. Greenies, farmers and ordinary blokes hate them. Rabbits? Fox's? Feral Cats? We have animals becomeing extinct every year because of the intervention of man, is that a positive?
I'm not a 'Greenie', I grew up in the country, I work in a vineyard, I just love the outdoors and I can see an infested environment is not a pretty one. It's like a diseased oganism.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Whether man introduced it or it got sent this way by some other force it is all NATURAL! Man is part of nature. We are not any different than the bird that carries a seed hundreds of miles dropping it in a new habitat. Sure you can say we can think about what we're doing but us doing it is NATURAL.

DSDO

Alan

I'll remember that next time I hear about how bad it is people are killing the reefs.

After all, by this rationale, it's only natural then that I should break coral with an anchor or my fins...

 

[scubarama]

Well it seems that they are here according to everyones postings. I however think people are being a bit over the top about it. Currents change. the global temperature fluctuates and species migrate. It's entirely possible that lionfish are naturally occuring on the east coast. It's also not so likely that the finding nemo theory is true. If you've ever had a salt aquarium or know someone who has you'd know that moving fish is a very risky proposition for the fish being moved. As far as it being bad for the dive industry. I don't see a lot of people saying no diving in micronesia or any other place because there are lionfish there. I also doubt the lionfish is going to wipe out the cod mackrel or any other fish. I live in Bradley beach NJ and a friend fishing pulled out a star gazer. He and I went for a swim right after we carefully released it. On the other hand we could have went home and never gone back in the water again without a full dry suit. Which one sounds more rational?

 

[pataussiediver]

I don't think the issue is safety when talking about lionfish. We have them in abundance on the GBR, you just keep out of their way and don't touch.
It could have effects further on down the food chain though I suspect, if they get out of control in your neck of the woods.

 

[LioKai]

I also doubt the lionfish is going to wipe out the cod mackrel or any other fish.

Not the adult cod, but the juveniles could face a threat, until they adapt.

As for the introduction of an invasive species... In the 1950's, Peacock Grouper were introduced to Hawaii. They eat EVERYTHING, including juvenile and adult Lionfish and Frogfish. While the P-Grouper in many ways is a pest, they have also adapted to hunting with eels. An amazing yet unusual relationship since P-Groupers will eat the eels too.

If humans caused this introduction or not, the Lions are most likely here to stay, and there will be fallout. Before deciding that the Lionfish should be wiped clean from the east coast, you may want to watch their behaviors and their adaptations to the environment.

I wonder what Darwin would say about this.

Matthew J D'Avella

"God is looking down here now and saying, I gave you a beautiful planet and you f##ked it up" Robin Williams

 

[DivePartner1]

Just because I want to tick a few purists off here's a comment.

Whether man introduced it or it got sent this way by some other force it is all NATURAL! Things change. That's life. That's nature.Alan

Sure, but what kind of "nature" do you want?

I remember a commerical fishing industry in Lake Michigan when I was young. Lamprey Eels, a foreign species, killed off the native species of fish and the industry. In 67 or 68 the Lampreys were poisoned off, and another foriegn species--Alewives--overpopulated. Once every week, the dead fish had to be bull dosed off beaches. Lovely smell. I sailed from Mi. to Wi and back and never was in a place where dead fish didn't float as far as the eye can see. The lakes are now artifically stocked. Having been destoyed by 'nature', the sport's fish are artifically bred by man. The wildlife of eons --Lake Perch and such-- is gone forever. I wonder what it would've looked like?

Australians probably have more and better stories.

I think the Lion Fish offer a revenue and sporting opportunity. Put a bounty on them and encourage spear fishing. This would but beat a future a sterile wrecks lacking native fish and covered by these toxic, diver-endangering foriegners.

 

[The Kraken]

Long after man is gone and his dams bursted, the rivers will, once again, flow freely to the sea.

 

[scubarama]

couldn't agree more. I have a masters in environmental management and i feel I seen both sides of a lot of environmental issues. People have a tendancy to overreact in both directions. I'd like to put myself on the side of defending the environment, with this in mind I've always felt it was a good idea to reel in the people on the edge a bit because when you're out there people tend to dismiss your views. Evolution is a powerful thing and somtimes it does unpopular things. Trying to fix it is always a bad idea.
mike

 

[pataussiediver]

Sure, but what kind of "nature" do you want?


Australians probably have more and better stories.

I don't know if we have more and better stories. Isn't this the story all over the world?
I mostly know about the terrestrial introduced species in Australia. Where do you want me to start. In 1995 there was a rabbit population of 300million. our human pop is 18 mil. We have wild cats, horses donkeys pigs goats foxs, all introduced and now in big (huge)numbers. They cause a lot of damage.
The marine environment has not escaped harm, you must have heard of the crown of thorns starfish? Another starfish was introduced into Tasmanian waters from Japan, and it's taken over the waters around Hobart. It hurts to think about it.