Lionfish in Cozumel

[jayjoans]

Mike- is it your opinion then that reef diving in Cozumel is done?

I honestly don't know how my disagreeing with you over the hunting of lionfish turned into you putting "the reef is done" as my statement. I never said anything remotely like that. I find your posts thoughtful and intelligent, but please don't put words in my mouth.

Easy there big fella, where did I put words in your mouth? Where did I attribute a statement to you at all? I asked an honest question from someone (you) that has a different perspective than I do.

You, on the other hand have twice referred to the lionfish invasion as comparable to kudzu, and you did state: "It's like the vine kudzu...once it gets a foothold it's over." THAT statement caused me to ask my first question of you, quoted above. I hope you can see why I asked your opinion after you used that phrase regarding kudzu. Nobody put words in your mouth.

I'm not trying to argue with anybody, I'm interested in what your thoughts are for the future of the reef. As far as not coming to Cozumel to dive if they take over, my motivation to fly from CA to Cozumel to dive reefs that are teeming with lionfish is small. I would spend my dive budget elsewhere if Coz diving became just watching a parade of lionfish.

I would however, choose Coz over other destinations if I was allowed to hunt them. I have no need to hunt fish for food in any waters and further reduce their numbers, but I would enjoy hunting fish that need to be removed from the reef system to help it survive. In that case, I get the testosterone thrill of hunting, while providing a service (what little it provides) to the future of the reef in addition to contributing to the economy and people of Cozumel.

 

[CZMDM]

My problem is you are twisting what I said. I stated that hunting will not stop the lionfish. I never ever said that reef diving is finished here. You took two lines of thought and turned it into me saying something that I did not. Well the lionfish unfortunately are probably here to stay. And we'll all be ice skating on the River Styx before the Marine Park allows hordes of divers in the parks armed with spears or slings. I guess you are resigned to finding a lionfish free environment to dive in. Good luck. I regret addressing your posts. First you insult me over my briefings when you have never heard me give a briefing and now this crap. If you are saying that if you are not allowed to hunt lionfish you are taking your toys and going someplace else please do so.

 

[jayjoans]

I think all that read this thread and our interchange will hopefully see that I was trying to ask a legitimate question of a Cozumel DM. I never put words in your mouth, I never attributed a statement to you that you didn't make. Your insinuation using kudzu as an example in my opinion naturally leads to me asking you how that fits in your opinion of the future of diving in Cozumel.

You obviously need a nap, you're reading some sort of malice from me that isn't there. So much for answering what I though was a legitimate question, you still haven't stated what you think the future holds, other than hunting won't stop them, which I completely agree with.

 

[cvchief]

Taking style over substance, I liked, "ice skating on the River Styx."

 

[Firefyter]

I watched something interesting happen with the lionfish several times over the last week. I dove with Jorge from Blue Angel all of last week, logging 17 dives. On the first dive day, Jorge caught a couple of lionfish in his bag, killed them, the dumped them out. As they were falling and he was swimming away, I witnessed a fairly large red snapper suck them up and swallow them. I watched to see if he would spit them out, but he really looked like he enjoyed them. The red snapper then followed Jorge from a distance waiting for more.

I mentioned this to Jorge when we were back on the boat, and he asked if I saw this with my own eyes and observed the snapper's actions later. I replied again that I had.

The rest of the week, Jorge managed to catch and kill at least 10 more lionfish. Whenever he did, he would look around to see if any snappers were around. Every time he would dump one from the bag in the presence of a red snapper, the snapper would eat it.

I'm not a marine biologist, and I know very little about this sort of stuff, but it would seem that maybe if the red snappers learn to like the taste of lionfish that it could become a predator. Has anyone else seen this? What do you think the chances are of this working out for the positive?

 

[firstdive2005]

The are a few of us that have posted feeding the carcass to snappers, they follow you around like a hungry dog after feeding them. I have given them to grouper and eels. Cut them up and the place looks like a smorg for fish. Who knows whether they will train to eat them but ya never know. Maybe they taste really good to them.

 

[jayjoans]

Firefyter- what was the purpose of catching them in a bag prior to killing them? Seems like an unnecessary risky step to the diver. I've only seen them speared and left for dead.

 

[Firefyter]

Firefyter- what was the purpose of catching them in a bag prior to killing them? Seems like an unnecessary risky step to the diver. I've only seen them speared and left for dead.

Jorge doesn't carry a spear (at least not yet). It is risky, and he has been hit before. He said that he had uncontrollable shakes for 3 days after the hit, so he's extremely careful about bagging them now. If they start getting really aggressive, he just leaves and moves on to the next one. It's actually kinda fun watching him catch them. He bags 'em, then rolls 'em up in the bag a couple of times so they can't get out and their barbs won't poke through, then pinches their little head.....

 

[ReefHound]

I sure hope that the red snapper or grouper or other local fishes take a liking to them but scavenging dead meat is quite a bit different from taking live prey. For one, there's those venomous barbs to deal with. Will the snapper have the tools to evade them or adequate resistance to them? I'm sure you could throw cut up tiger meat to a small dog and it would be quickly devoured but that doesn't mean the dog is going to start hunting down and killing tigers.

 

[deborahdelamar]

Went diving on Saturday with Aqua Safari & DM Chino employed what I think is a unique and interesting approach to the problem. Using a long, stainless rod, he guided lionfish into the arms of giant anemones. The anemones held the fish fast and all seemed to be over except for the digesting. I suppose that Chino's practiced at this because he led all four fish that were spotted during our second tank to their dooms. Pretty cool, that!