Does anyone feel that culling invasive lionfish is a bad thing?

[Wookie]

Any theories as to why their population is lower now?

Chug thinks it's because of hunting. I don't care one way or the other. I never found them to be all that offensive. Nature finds a balance.

 

[scagrotto]

Any theories as to why their population is lower now?

I've got a hypothesis.

Hunting is not having an effect on the lionfish population.

Maybe not hunting by divers, but we're not the only ones who hunt them.

The big problem with any invasive species is that they usually have no natural predators when they first show up, and that usually allows them to multiply rapidly. Given enough time they become just another species that's part of the ecosystem. Lionfish are far from being an apex predator, but when they first showed up all those nasty spines kept them off the menu for most of the local predators that would otherwise be higher up on the food chain. That's apparently changing, and they're definitely being hunted by some grouper and morays. I'd imagine that some other species are also learning to feed on them. Even if only 1% of the groupers and morays hunt lionfish there are a lot more of them than divers hunting lionfish. Unlike the vast majority of divers, those other hunters have a range that includes areas that are well beyond 100'.

 

[divad]

I'm quite fond of tomatoes, fresh off the vine is best, with a touch of Tony Chacherie's seasoning and maybe a bit of basalmic glaze. I've not had rat, but I imagine skinned and well cooked it would be a bit like rabbit. I have nothing against eating rat. I'd like a big one, though. My wife had a pet rat. I'm not sure she would let me eat it.

What about invasive caucasians? I've heard that they taste a lot like chicken.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I will certainly say that the behavior of sharks and other apex predators off of South East Florida has changed due to the lionfish being taken by divers and such.

I started diving in 1977, and we really didn't see very many sharks until the Lions came along and we started whacking them about 6 years ago.
This happens when you might kill over 40 Lions on a single tank and carry them with you. . . .

So am I understanding correctly that a reason lionfish hunting draws more sharks, etc., than hunting of traditional species is simply that hunters are bagging a LOT more lionfish than other species? If so, I have to say I never thought of that. I had no idea there were that many lionfish and that many people hunting them.

 

[divad]

I never found them to be all that offensive. Nature finds a balance.

I agree.

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Thanks for the responses so far



lionfish spearing practices on Grand Cayman (where I work) is regulated by the Department of Environment (DoE). The idea to feed speared lionfish to other predators was proved damaging and therefore prohibited some time ago. Since then the behavior you mention in the eels has started drifting back to how it used to be.

So people who have replied so far generally don't mind the act of spearing lionfish but are more concerned with what happens afterwards.

When was that prohibited? The two dive ops with whom I dove continue to do so openly.

 

[Chugwhump]

Chug thinks it's because of hunting. I don't care one way or the other. I never found them to be all that offensive. Nature finds a balance.

I would refute your posit of my position with a witty insult,
but as you are a retired Navy man,
you already know all the insults,
and are of course guilty of all allegations regarding your lineage, intelligence, character, and um "performance" in many areas.

OK,
I absolutely agree with you Frank that something is eating them.
Whether it is that they are getting picked off in the larval stage, the juvenile stage, or the adolescent stage I just don't know.
But I most certainly do agree with your as yet unproven theory that something is hitting them.
I am ALL IN on that.

I do believe that we are certainly "assisting" with high pressure.

And I absolutely do agree that nature finds a way.
It may take longer than we want it to, but nature always finds a way.

Now....
If we could just figure out how to facilitate the extinction of the anacondas and pythons in the Florida Everglades.

HEY...
I...
KNOW....

Let us hold a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission sanctioned hunt for these snakes in February,
Within.....
The 'Glades!!!

That will work.......right?????

Chug
Eagerly awaits the cloning of the Sabretoothed Tiger and Carrier Pigeon.

---------- Post added November 1st, 2015 at 07:36 PM ----------

So am I understanding correctly that a reason lionfish hunting draws more sharks, etc., than hunting of traditional species is simply that hunters are bagging a LOT more lionfish than other species? If so, I have to say I never thought of that. I had no idea there were that many lionfish and that many people hunting them.

Blood trail.
And in my case....
I make a chum slick with the little ones while submerged, with any of them less than 7"-8" with my shears.

Chug
Sometimes lives dangerously, or foolishly.

 

[Wookie]

If we can use weird science to hunt black bears (really? Black bears? Real men hunt them with a shark's tooth spear) why not pythons in the Everglades. I'm all in.

 

[Chugwhump]

If we can use weird science to hunt black bears (really? Black bears? Real men hunt them with a shark's tooth spear) why not pythons in the Everglades. I'm all in.

The Bear hunt was very faulty.
But that is for another thread.
And,
Leave Manny Puig out of this Frank.

Chug
Loves Manny's "Proud Peacock" yoga instructor impersonation.

 

[FishLovingStudent]

Chug thinks it's because of hunting. I don't care one way or the other. I never found them to be all that offensive. Nature finds a balance.

The Kakapo (Rats), the birds of Guam (Brown Tree Snakes), and local American lake species (Zebra Mussels) would like to disagree with you about the balance that invasive species bring (i.e. the balance that involves their imminent extinction).

Ocean species are more cosmopolitan though...