See post #18 for taste!
As far as killing them all! Good luck! You must really think we have power over every nook and cranny of the sea? You might be able to control populations, but never eliminate until nature is ready to do so!
Ahh Papa Bear, may I remind you about the near extinction of jewfish in Florida waters--from a 1950's population that was staggeringly huge, to zero on any reefs dove by 99% of florida divers in the 90's. There were a small number of big jewfish left on deep 260 foot ledges, and very deep shipwrecks, and maybe I will guess this was breeding stock that was able to repopulate, once they were deemed protected.
And Hogfish used to be so plentiful back in the 80's, that I could go to a dive site called the Playground ( 115 feet deep off the palm beach inlet) at twighlight, and shoot litterally as many as I wanted---8 or ten ten pounders was easy, and there were plenty of 15 pounders, and some even much larger. Today---rarely do you see a hogfish---and if you do, it is tiny. Hogfish tasted too good for their own safety, and the Jewfish brought down the wrath of the commercial fisherman and lobster pot fisherman--jewfish damage to nets, and lobsters were a favorite food of jewfish.
I'm just saying, the lion fish is so easy to hit, you might not even need a speargun or polespear---you could easily get them with a big knife if the spines were not so large and dangerous.
There are still plenty of commercial spearfisherman--all they need is a good price per pound of lionfish, and the issue will be over in a year or so. The jewfish and hogfish at least were hard targets.
I am freedive spearfishing alot these days....and the next time I see a lionfish...KAPOW
