Lionfish control status

[mmmbelows]

I see, that makes more sense

 

[cpichette]

I've heard from reliable sources there are still lots of big ones below 130. There would be fewer on the East side If I weren't the worst lion fish hunter in the world.

Yeah, I was being diplomatic and not pointing that out...

 

[dberry]

Cozumel is not a proper representaion of the Lion Fish infestation.

This. Didn't see too many in Coz last year (although one must have jumped onto the end of Gobroek's spear as he got back on the boat), BUT in the BVI in December they were everywhere, at every dive site. Sadly, Cozumel is a small patch with a slightly reduced population of the invaders.

 

[mstevens]

and in Florida.. there is a proposal to ban all taking of lionfish off the southeast coast via a prohibition on scuba spearing..

Wait... the INTENT is to ban fishing for lionfish, or this would be an unintended consequence of a wider ban on spearfishing?

If the former, that's just nuts.

 

[Scubagolf]

It it the latter.

 

[mstevens]

It it the latter.

OK. So it's not "...a proposal TO ban all taking of lionfish...", it's "...a proposal THAT COULD ban all taking of lionfish...".

 

[lionfish-eater]

Yes, I because people can't be trusted to comply with game laws, fishing seasons, size and bag limits, etc.

 

[deepsea21]

Any such proposed ban on spearfishing is absolute insanity in FL. Heck, spearfishing on the reefs in the protected area of Coz is technically banned and yet no one would ever tell a diver trying to deplete this infestation that he can't spearfish these roaches that are infesting the reef. Quite frankly, the Mexican authorities have their heads on straight and those in the U.S. who would oppose such hunting have obviously never been underwater and seen this infestation first hand.

 

[ggunn]

Yes, I because people can't be trusted to comply with game laws, fishing seasons, size and bag limits, etc.

People taken en masse cannot be trusted to do the right thing with respect to any issue.

 

[mmmbelows]

Is there any differentiation to the definition of what spear fishing is? I mean that in regard to lion fish you certainly don't need what I would classify as a spear gun to harvest them.