Hunting Lionfish in the Keys

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Jessica Anderson

Contributor
Messages
108
Reaction score
22
Location
Hypoluxo, FL
# of dives
500 - 999
Has anyone gone through the process of getting a permit to hunt Lionfish in the Keys (the protected sections)? Just wondering how much work it really is and if it's worth it.
keys2.jpg
 
Isn't netting the only option in those areas for catching them? No spears allowed? If that's correct that sounds like a lot of work.
 
Hmm...maybe... I thought that they were starting to give out permits to shoot them. Maybe I was misinformed... anybody know about this?
 
So they want you to kill them, but you have to use the least efficient means necessary to do so....
Yup - that sums up government perfectly.
 
,,,,, but you have to use the least efficient means necessary to do so....
.....

Agree 1000%

If FKNMS was smart they would sponsor a twice a year tournament with pre-registered boats and a timed launched single day competition in just the marine park buoy's and no where else with pole spears. They would clean it in one day, no lionfish would be left alive. Divers would be too busy to shoot anything else plus be monitored since pre-registration.

I know REEF.ORG does a Key Largo tournament, but all that effort is put forth outside the marine park. No one is touching the preserve with any impact and it is already being affected. FKNMS needs to step up.
 
Those that claim to protect the park from spearos are going to keep them out even if it ruins the park.
 
I've been wondering about this myself; the fact that there are de facto safe havens for lionfish is not good. I'd like to know if NMFS has any estimates on lionfish numbers in the SPAs, Ecological Reserves, and Special-Use Research Only areas.
 
I've been wondering about this myself; the fact that there are de facto safe havens for lionfish is not good.

Unfortunately they don't need safe havens to remain a problem. They have been found in numbers at 300-800 feet. Far out of reach of rec hunters.

I don't know why they wouldn't let you use something like the ELF lionfish tool. I can't imagine being able to get close enough to anything but lionfish for that to be used.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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