Lionfish Awareness and Elimination

[Doc Harry]

Eliminating Lionfish is like trying to eliminate dandelions from your lawn. A noble idea, but an impossible task in reality.

But you can spend as much of your time and energy on the task as you desire. Me, I'm putting my Christmas bonus into the PADI Bubble Ring Blowing Certification and the PADI Peeing-in-My Wet-Suit Certification.

 

[BoltSnap]

On one hand we complain about humans affecting U/W marine life and causing, one way or another, certain species to disappear but when we are deliberately trying to exterminate or reduce the population of an invader that is causing great harm to the natural environment, you say we won't succeed??? I am not sure how we can have it both ways.

 

[Chugwhump]

Eliminating Lionfish is like trying to eliminate dandelions from your lawn. A noble idea, but an impossible task in reality.

But you can spend as much of your time and energy on the task as you desire. Me, I'm putting my Christmas bonus into the PADI Bubble Ring Blowing Certification and the PADI Peeing-in-My Wet-Suit Certification.

Doc, I both agree and disagree with your statement.
They breed down to 300'.
They hunt down to 1000'.
They egg out about every three days.
Clearly just shooting the things is most assuredly not going to completely eliminate them.
But;
They taste good.
They are fun to kill.
They do not belong in the Atlantic.
Are we spitting in the ocean?
Somewhat.
But until someone develops a species specific, predator, bait, trap, whatever, we need to try.
And we can help to reduce their numbers.
Evey LION FISH I kill, is for however long, a couple more days for a couple hundred of the natural species of the reef to (however briefly) breathe a little easier.

Chug

Ain't giving up.

 

[crogue]

I'm not sure if anyone currently knows how they are controlled in their native habitat. Seems like I recently saw that a grant had been provided to a university to try to determine the answer to that question. I am in complete agreement with Chugwhump.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I'm not sure if anyone currently knows how they are controlled in their native habitat. Seems like I recently saw that a grant had been provided to a university to try to determine the answer to that question. I am in complete agreement with Chugwhump.

Here:

Because the natural predators here, grouper(hammour), scorpionfish, and such, are used to lionfish. They recognize them as prey.

 

[drrich2]

Eliminating Lionfish is like trying to eliminate dandelions from your lawn. A noble idea, but an impossible task in reality.

As many lawns attest, diligent and persistent effort over time can eradicate most dandelions from a lawn, for as long as such effort is maintained.

Personally, I could care less about dandelions, but lion fish might be worth controlling.

Richard.

 

[Kern]

As many lawns attest, diligent and persistent effort over time can eradicate most dandelions from a lawn, for as long as such effort is maintained.

Personally, I could care less about dandelions, but lion fish might be worth controlling.

Richard.

Over here I'm not to worried by lionfish, but dandelions should be blown up.

 

[annieols]

The first 2 groups have gone through the LF awareness and elimination course. The students all chose to take the PADI version of the course and earn a specialty certification card- they received their awareness manuals, sat through the lecture and then did the requsite 2 dives for the course- 5 lionfish were collected or speared and eliminated from the reefs in bonaire. The second group who took the course requested to do an additional boat dive during their second week on island to participate in MORE LF elimination dives (there were 5 lf eliminated on that dive); they said it was the most fun dive of their 2 week trip to bonaire! Thats what this is all about...

Im glad that when all came to be, the students enjoyed the course, felt that they learned a lot and consistantly and enthusiatically came to the shop after their dives talking about the LF they saw on the reef and the need to eliminate them...

I consider these courses to be a complete success and appreciate all the feedback, comments and constructive criticisms received from this post

Thank you!

 

[BoltSnap]

Congratulations Annieols!!! Keep up the good work.

BTW, what did you do with the fish your student caught????


Safe Diving!!

 

[annieols]

Thanks BurhanMuntasser, it feels pretty good

As for the eliminated lionfish; some were taken to CIEE, a local marine research station / school which has ongoing research projects based on lionfish (stomach contents etc). some were left dead on the reef. It depended on who collected them and what their agenda was.