Lionfish Eradication: Recipes, Killing Techniques, and Information

[Reef_Haven]

Are there licensing requirements for spear fishing in Florida? I'd love to head down for a "learn and hunt" session this spring.

Pompano Dive Center has a charter fishing license for their boat, so divers can hunt without a license. There may be other dive boats in FL that have a charter license.
I've speared them through with three prongs and seen them swim away, can't say if they actually recovered. They have spines on the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins. None on the tail or pectorals (which are the large feathery side fins).

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Here is a link to some good information about Florida regulations:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-hunting/366293-lionfish-rules-regulations-florida.html

 

[Insta-Gator]

Lionfish target of Cayman’s culinary month
Posted on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 14:55 in Science and Nature
(CNS): The pesky lionfish which has become for too common a sight on Cayman’s reefs has a target on its back this month as various groups and restaurants involved in the culinary events taking place on Grand Cayman in January seek to put the fish on the menu. Divers are being enlisted to help bag the fish for both environmental reasons and to go in the pot for various cookouts. Although an attractive looking fish Pterois volitans is a dangerous invasive species. Native to the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean its arrival in the Caribbean seems to be down to an accidental release from a home aquarium in Florida. Lionfish have no natural predators and are outcompeting native species, in particular the Nassau grouper.

Cayman News Service 13 January 2011

 

[Chugwhump]

Good morning.
My dive report from yesterday:
Myself and 4 others dove(d) from shore and had about 2:45' submerged here in "Sunny South Florida". We ended up over half a mile offshore while zig- zagging all the way, to a maximum depth of about 33'+/-. We saw no Lion Fish for the second week in a row in this area, where we have consistantly been seeing them last year for the first time. We also saw no arrow crabs, banded coral shrimp, grouper of any kind, hogfish, or grunts to speak of. Viz was at 30'-60' depending on our proximity to shore (the deeper we were, the better the viz). We are thinking the 70 to 73 degree water has many species hiding, among them, LION FISH.
It was a good dive.

A question I am hoping to have answered is, could it really be the cold that is causing my current dearth of stinkin' LION FISH to kill?

Chug
Looking for possible explanations.

 

[rjnjupiter]

You are doing a good job in keeping the population down in that area. They are elsewhere. If you kill at least 27% of a population ib an area, the population will not increase. Scientific stuff. We need to turn you loose in another area. Anybody need a Lion Tamer army? I have kileed 315 so far and see 10 or 12 every dive. Anyone want to come to Jupiter, call me

Randy Jordan
Lion Tamer
lion fish liontamer

Emerald Charters
scuba diving jupiter

(561)248 8332

 

[Chugwhump]

Today I was on the Oakland Ledges off of Fort Lauderdale, found and dispatched a hated LION FISH about 4" in body length.
It appeared to be stalking a cluster of Banded Coral Shrimp at the face of the reef way down low.
We were about 25' deep in 71 degree water.
Genius that I am I forgot my "Lion Tamer Mini Spear" so I gently moved him into my bug net and with the aid of a buddy pinned him to the sand with a tickle stick and did a "Lizzie Borden" on him with my dive knife.
This is my first kill since New Year's Eve, 2010.

Chug
Hates LION FISH, outside of their native range.

 

[the dive_addict]

Caution ,spears or similar killing devices are prohibited in Cayman ,unless you are licensed.The spines can easily pierce a dry bag.To "cull" the fish you must be certified by D.O.E . Contact James Gibb at DOE or Jason at Ambassador Divers 345 916 1065 on Grand Cayman for full information. Last cull one diver was "stung" his hand swelled to about twice it normal size.Hospital type needle gloves are a good idea.

 

[rlskill1]

I saw and killed 3 lionfish offshore Jupiter Saturday. They were small ones, but at least they will never be big ones!!

 

[Chugwhump]

I whacked 6 last Sunday.
I also caught 8 bugs with help.

Chug
Still killing Lion Fish.

 

[rlskill1]

I'm going out tomorrow to whack some more!!!