Lionfish/help

[MMM]

Just back from Coz a few days ago and have a suggestion for people who want to help with lionfish control efforts.

The Marine Park was handing out gloves to DMs to use when they catch them. However, a problem is that each DM only got 1 glove and didn't get a choice of which hand it would be for. Also, it is just a light gardening glove with some kind of latex/rubber coating. Easy for the spines to pierce. Jeremy from LU wears heavy kevlar type gloves. Anyone who has extra pairs of heavy-ish gloves would likely be welcome by DMs who are capturing/killing lionfish. Just a thought...

 

[ScubaSteve]

While it is sad that such an inexpensive item is where they choose to skimp but it is nice to see them doing something.

 

[deborahdelamar]

The gloves that Jeremy recommends are Hex Armor Sharpsmasters or similar. These are fairly expensive (available at the reef.org store for $50) but worth the money when you consider the pain & lost time DM's have when stung. Nice post, Marg!

 

[MMM]

The gloves that Jeremy recommends are Hex Armor Sharpsmasters or similar. These are fairly expensive (available at the reef.org store for $50) but worth the money when you consider the pain & lost time DM's have when stung. Nice post, Marg!

Thanks. While this might be what he recommends, he wears something different. Almost more like 7mm gloves.

 

[scubafanatic]

.....still wondering why the effort is being made to 'capture' lionfish....interrogation or prisoner exchange or what ???

 

[BTravlin]

Thanks for the suggestion Marg. I'm heading down Saturday and will see what I can do about some gloves.

Just got back from the Bahamas a few weeks ago and the lionfish are BAD there. Seems like we saw 4 to 5 on every dive and they were all as big or bigger than the largest I've seen in Coz.

Glad to see Coz being proactive even if it is a tough fight.

 

[scubawife]

.....still wondering why the effort is being made to 'capture' lionfish....interrogation or prisoner exchange or what ???

Because until they naturally become part of the food chain (which isn't happening anytime soon), eradication is an attempt at population control. Lionfish reproduce at rates that put bunnies to shame, and there is just about nothing they don't or won't eat.

I don't think anyone is foolish enough to think that this practice is going to solve the problem long-term, but at least it thins the population out and does something for saving what these lionfish would have otherwise consumed.

 

[scubafanatic]

Because until they naturally become part of the food chain (which isn't happening anytime soon), eradication is an attempt at population control. Lionfish reproduce at rates that put bunnies to shame, and there is just about nothing they don't or won't eat.

I don't think anyone is foolish enough to think that this practice is going to solve the problem long-term, but at least it thins the population out and does something for saving what these lionfish would have otherwise consumed.

....I think I understand the purpose of killing lionfish, it's the 'capturing' of lionfish I'm puzzled about ....

 

[Pelagicsal]

The gloves that Jeremy recommends are Hex Armor Sharpsmasters or similar. These are fairly expensive (available at the reef.org store for $50) but worth the money when you consider the pain & lost time DM's have when stung. Nice post, Marg!

I shopped around a bit and found the H.A. SharpsMaster II for about $30. My understanding is that those were handed out. I plan to bring a pair for the DM who likes to use them and maybe a spare pair or two.
Small fits my hand. DM I measured wears a medium.

For less $$, and also handed out by the marine park, are the jumbo ziploc bags. I believe they are the two gallon size. A friend brought down a box of the Hefty ones, and they work great, too. The smaller lion fish think they are escaping and are easily shooed into them. Then they can be dispatched with a weight or rock.
The anemone eating them makes nice video, too!

Every DM I am diving with uses one. It was nice to see those Hefty bags come out of pockets to remove the lionfish, as the original ziplocs didn't last too long...

 

[MMM]

.....still wondering why the effort is being made to 'capture' lionfish....interrogation or prisoner exchange or what ???

Jeremy and family are eating the bigger of them. Smaller ones are killed underwater and fed to other marine life. It's interesting to watch how wary the fish are of them.

PS I noticed many fewer lionfish on dives this trip relative to earlier this year. Not sure what you can draw from that observation but I hope it's good news. Saw scads of small fry all over the place.