I just got back from a week in roatan. The lionfish were everywhere. We saw at least 10 - 12 per dive. The DM had a small sling spear that was very effective at killing them. We kept the larger ones for a shore lunch when the boat returned for lunch. The smaller ones we left on the reef to be eaten by other fish. We watched a grouper eat one we left on the bottom. We also fed two to a snapper that was following us waiting for a free lunch. The ones we kept were eating size ( panfish size ) easy to filet. They tasted like perch or walleye. No fishy taste, light flakey white meat. Even my 16 year old son, who doesn't like fish, enjoyed the sweet fresh taste. We cooked our catch, but others made ceviche, which I love, but have had two bad experiences with and will no longer eat. The lionfish are easy to catch, as they just sit there unafraid of divers. However the fish that get away or are improperly speared will get weary over time and hide from divers. If I owned a restaurant on an Island affected by lionfish, I would contact every diveshop and local fisherman and offer $1 per fresh catch. I would then offer them to customers at a reduced rate with a contribution to the marine park. I hate when people say that there is nothing that can be done and nature will just take its course. Human involevment brought them to our shores and human appetites will be the ultimate solution. Perhaps after the Japanese fish bluefin tuna to extinction they can turn their attention to lionfish. The women can freedive for them just as they do for scallops or abalone. We can do somethig about the problem. Bring a filet knife and a box of seasoning on your next dive trip as a gift for the DM in exchange for cooking a shore lunch. We used the microwave at the dive shop, but a grill, fryer, or wood fire would also work. I will post some videos of catching, cleaning and eating them soon.
Save a reef - eat a lionfish today