PADI * LEDS (Lionfish Eradication Divers Specialty) Course

[Whatevva]

There are recipes. Lionfish Recipes



Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

I'm well aware that these fish CAN be eaten, but it most cases are not, nor is the fact that it can be eaten being used as the primary reason for killing.

 

[drrich2]

If you leave the bodies behind, something eats them. Nature's good about recycling. So it's not a 'waste' issue.

Richard.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Nah we don't go over killing them. It is part of the environmental lecture though. I save how to kill them for the underwater hillbilly handfishin turtle grabbin dynamitin moonshine distillin cow tippin lion fish gettin rid of speciality that I is runnin at a special two for 19.95 and if'n ya call now get a ginsu divin knife free offer. It is however only taught the 6th tuesday of the month that has a z in it. Cards are drawn up right purty on waxed butcher paper with only genuine crayolas. None o them cheap dollar store ones from the land o China.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Nah we don't go over killing them. It is part of the environmental lecture though. I save how to kill them for the underwater hillbilly handfishin turtle grabbin dynamitin moonshine distillin cow tippin lion fish gettin rid of speciality that I is runnin at a special two for 19.95 and if'n ya call now get a ginsu divin knife free offer. It is however only taught the 6th tuesday of the month that has a z in it. Cards are drawn up right purty on waxed butcher paper with only genuine crayolas. None o them cheap dollar store ones from the land o China.

No bad mouthing China. There was enough of that in this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/whine-cheeze/410832-craftsman-tools-made-china.html

By the way, I didn't know Ginsu made a diving knife. Cool!

 

[Tigerman]

Species, both marine and non-marine ones get blacklisted because they dont belong in certain areas and is a threat to the existing eco-system all the time.
This effectively means if you see it and you have the means to, you should kill it. We could of course say screw conservation and ban hunting altogether, but I dont think that would go down too well either.

 

[rmh84]

I have done most of my saltwater diving in Bonaire, which as some of you know is a marine park, where normally anything other then normal hook&line fishing is prohibited. Here, you're allowed to spear them, but ONLY if you're certified to do so.

Lionfish are a problem in the Atlantic, they don't belong here. The deal is that their prey do not see them as predators, and the predators do not yet see them as prey. Last year when I was diving, I saw none the entire trip. This year, we saw half a dozen on every dive.

Were I not dealing with a broken hand - I absolutely would have done the course, I cringe every time I see one of these on the reef where they don't belong. We saw one the size of a good-sized grouper. I would definitely bring them back and eat them - I'm big on revenge-eating (just ask the turkey that used to attack me every morning).

The course was developed by some instructors for PADI and was approved.

PADI Approves Lionfish Eradication Course | Lion Fish Fools

So while you may think, and assume, it's PADI simply out to make another dollar it's actually the instructors that put it together that should get the "credit" you are trying to give for it. Sure PADI gets a bad rap on some things, but it's not always just.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

If Lionfish ever become a desired fish in Japan......their numbers would decline quickly. ;-)

-Mitch

 

[Tigerman]

If Lionfish ever become a desired fish in Japan......their numbers would decline quickly. ;-)

-Mitch

Yeah, but well have to make only the invasive ones desired for some reason though.
The invasive ones are probably more effective for your mojo because theire more agressive and mighty or something like that..

 

[Whatevva]

Well then let's not stop there, let's clean up the USA!....Save for the native Americans, we don't belong here either! We certainly are invasive, have no regular preditors, I guess you could eat us, but that doesn't seem to be a priority. As rediculous as that sounds, is it really any different? Haven't past leaders tried to do this and we're horrified to even think about it? These are living creatures that have adapted to an environment very well. Over time something will evolve to eat them, and something to eat those as well. We think on very short time scales and only about ourselves. As I said...no one is going to change their minds, and we (not me) will possibly make a dent to eradicate a species and only because they've learned to eat well and be capable of defending themselves (to an extent) from us. I swore I wasn't going to get into this, but it's almost become the norm to dive and see someone killing fish. I'm not down there to see that...I'm down there to take in the beauty of everything that most people never get to see, and leave no mark that I've ever been there.

 

[Tigerman]

Then go dive somewhere its not legal to hunt under water?

And no, its NOT about making lionfish extinct, its about keeping it in the enviroment it belongs instead of destroying ecosystems where it DONT belong.
The lionfish dont belong in a lot of places where its coming to at the moment and they have no enemies where they come, meaning they pretty much eat everything in the area, killing off an entire ecosystem.
Its actually kinda similar to the crown of thorns starfish thats also moving into areas where it dont have any natural enemies. If divers dont cull them, they litterarilly eat the entire reef and theres nothing left for you to see. Believe it or not, hunting can be a neccessity if you want your divesites to stay in good condition..