Lionfish in Cozumel

[deborahdelamar]

We've been waiting for this -- the first lionfish sighting in Coz was reported this week. An alert DM captured the 3" fish at Palancar Gardens. At present, the Marine Park has not given permission for divers to take the fish and is working on guidelines for their safe removal (safe for the divers, that is.) In the meantime, all of the island's dive ops will be asked to report sightings to the Park.

Since you are our eyes in Coz, please be on the lookout for these fish and, if you spot one, please show it to your DM. Unofficially, no one will get mad if you can safely capture it and deliver the body to the Park office. Also, sightings should be reported to REEF, either via the website Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) | Diving That Counts or by calling the local field station, leave a message for Sheryl Shea at Aqua Safari, 872-0101.

Thank you!

 

[Spratman]

Thanks! It was bound to happen....

 

[robint]

yeah, bound to happen...... sightings this month in Belize and Caymans...:depressed:

 

[scubawife]

We've been waiting for this -- the first lionfish sighting in Coz was reported this week. An alert DM captured the 3" fish at Palancar Gardens. At present, the Marine Park has not given permission for divers to take the fish and is working on guidelines for their safe removal (safe for the divers, that is.) In the meantime, all of the island's dive ops will be asked to report sightings to the Park.

Since you are our eyes in Coz, please be on the lookout for these fish and, if you spot one, please show it to your DM. Unofficially, no one will get mad if you can safely capture it and deliver the body to the Park office. Also, sightings should be reported to REEF, either via the website Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) | Diving That Counts or by calling the local field station, leave a message for Sheryl Shea at Aqua Safari, 872-0101.

Thank you!

:depressed: Very sad to hear it, but not surprising. Last month the reefs and marine life were they best I've seen them since Wilma (and we've made about 3 trips a year). I was really hoping the lionfish would hold off awhile longer.

Hmmm, safely catching while obeying the "no gloves" rule is going to be kind of hard.

Deb, I looked at REEF's site but nothing posted there yet. Will they be "officially" posting the siting?

 

[deborahdelamar]

Lisa & Christy at REEF received the same email that I did, so I'm sure they'll put it on the site when they get a chance. Sheryl is working to get Lad to Coz to work with the Park ASAP. Locally, the radio is broadcasting info & officials asked that citizens report all sightings.

 

[joey1656]

Sorry for my ignorance, but I assume lionfish are not native to cozumel. How did they get there? Why is it important to kill them? I'll try to google them to learn more. What is the other fish that looks like a clump of seaweed on the bottom? a scorpionfish?

 

[joey1656]

Just read an article about them. Wow. Never knew the damage they can cause.

 

[Ed Hatfield]

This past November I counted a dozen Lionfish on a single dive in the Bahamas. I don't know if a 'cull' (pick out of any and all) by the local dive operators in Cozumel will help stem the tide. It is certainly worth a try. This invasive species is the 'zebra mussel' of the Caribbean (A Great Lakes metaphor aimed at our local 'Freshh Water Freaks'). I look forward to seeing what the local authorities determine the appropriate action should be. I will be returning to this thread on a regular basis to see what developes. I am also a seasonal resident of the area and this is indeed bad news.

 

[weaponeer]

There are threads about lionfish under the Florida Conch Divers group. They found a lionfish in the stomach of a grouper caught in the Keys, so it appears that grouper will eat them and survive. Two years ago while diving wrecks off North Carolina we saw plenty of lionfish. I'm surprised it took them this long to infest the whole carribean. I hope Cozumel takes a strong-handed approach at keeping the numbers of lionfish in control. I think all divers should be allowed to carry a spear (no speargun) to catch them with. 10 lionfish = free tank fill?

 

[geokr]

Sorry for my ignorance, but I assume lionfish are not native to cozumel. How did they get there? Why is it important to kill them? I'll try to google them to learn more. What is the other fish that looks like a clump of seaweed on the bottom? a scorpionfish?

Go to reef.org and there will be a wealth of info on what's happening. If you want to have a great dive trip and do something for the oceans I would suggest signing up as a volunteer diver on one of their lionfish surveys. I did two trips last year. You pay your way but it's a great experience and you'll learn a great deal about lionfish as well. Probably learn how they taste, too, cause they're good eating and they might fry a few up on the trip. See the YouTube video below I made from the group's photos during the trips.

Sad to see they've gotten to Mexico so fast. I'll bet we're not going to do anything about them here in the USA until they devastate the shrimp in Texas and other commercial fish industries as they move around the Gulf. This is a real problem and it hasn't gotten any real traction with our government yet. A shame....