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

[chillyinCanada]

I went on a lionfish cull dive in Roatan a few years back. Just me and the guys with their spears and buckets.. That may have been one of the most frightened I've ever been on a dive. . those guys were in a killing frendy of blood lust. Yeesh.

 

[diversteve]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Let's keep the political comments to a minimum since this is not the Pub.

If your post fit that - it's gone from this thread about culling Lionfish.

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[AfterDark]

It was humans that brought them to this side of the world. It's humans that have to correct that error. They are destroying the eco-systems on this side of the world. Does someone have a better idea to correct our mistake? If not or until then we need to cull these fish; since we can't grab them spearing them is the only way.

 

[scoobydrew]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Let's keep the political comments to a minimum since this is not the Pub.

If your post fit that - it's gone from this thread about culling Lionfish.

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Doh! I always miss the good posts!

 

[Doc]

Doh! I always miss the good posts!

It was a joke about Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump who went diving one day....

 

[Carl_F]

For example a fishermen can sell to an aquarium trade exporter a fish (say a Queen Angelfish or a Blue Hippo Tang) for many times the amount he would at the local fish mart. More money into the local economy means more emphasis on collecting fewer fish for more profit, pushes away less profitable illegal activities, and promotes more marine stewardship programs (after all, try convincing a fishermen he can't fish anymore because some big wigs from the west says he cant, offer a better alternative though...)

Tragedy of the Commons refutes this theory that fewer fish will be pulled if the price is higher. The only way this occurs is with local laws and enforcement. Otherwise, they'll get what they can while they can. Not a knock on locals in any locale, just human nature.

Oh, and Drew knows my view on taking lionfish. Not a problem. The only time it's been a problem that I have seen is when it's been a guided dive and that's all the guide does. Hasn't happened on my dives in Cayman but have seen it in other locales.

 

[scoobydrew]

It was a joke about Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump who went diving one day....

OK thanks, I probably wouldn't have got it anyway

 

[Attreui]

I wouldn't do it. When I was getting my cert in Belize the instructor and DM both carried spears to grab em when we weren't in the protected areas. Like others, I also am part of the aquarium hobby and have actually had lion fish. They are amazing creatures and I enjoyed caring for them. Mine was like a puppy half the time. As someone who lives in Florida and dives the Caribbean I understand the need, and saw my instructor spear quite a few of them. I won't do it personally, but can see it's probably necessary. I'm also a gun nut who doesn't kill anything but a lot of pesky paper targets.

 

[scoobydrew]

I wouldn't do it. When I was getting my cert in Belize the instructor and DM both carried spears to grab em when we weren't in the protected areas. Like others, I also am part of the aquarium hobby and have actually had lion fish. They are amazing creatures and I enjoyed caring for them. Mine was like a puppy half the time. As someone who lives in Florida and dives the Caribbean I understand the need, and saw my instructor spear quite a few of them. I won't do it personally, but can see it's probably necessary. I'm also a gun nut who doesn't kill anything but a lot of pesky paper targets.

OK, an interesting perspective, so you recognise the issue and don't object to lionfish culling per se but due to your connection with the species from having kept and cared for them in the past you would not want to cull them yourself.

Thanks for the response.

I think there are quite a few out there in the same boat as you who accept that culling does more good than harm but for whatever reason chose not to take part in the activity themselves which I get.