Spearfishing Lionfish

[Tandoorii]

It seems that while "everyone" has been cautious about how to deal with the LF and wanted to study its invasion, the little MFers have proliferated beyond ever being erradicated. So now they're everywhere in the Caribbean/east US coast (scores on 23 recent dives in Honduras Bay Islands). Very sad to actually see reefs with fewer and fewer typical reef fish due to the voraciousness of the LF.

Anyway, does a clean stab through the middle of the LF with a single spear device kill it? If you detach the LF from the spear and just leave it, what are the chances that it's not a gonner?

Cheers all...

 

[firstdive2005]

Lionfish hunters throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean. Our device, The Frapper, is being used effectively throughout these waters. Our new hunting video will be posted any day now...To learn more about the lionfish invasion and our own efforts to help control their population explosion on a local level, please visit our website The Frapper | Team Frapper | The Lionfish Eliminator | Help Protect Our Reefs From Lionfish
"Take 'Em Out and Serve 'EM Up !!!tm

While I appreciate any tool that may kill the lion fish, and this will, it does not appear that the spear stays attached to the gun.
It appears that the spear will hit what is behind the fish after it is hit no matter what. There is nothing stoping the spear from going beyond the kill. This is a bad idea only in that it needs a string or some sort of restrictor for the spear to not project past the barrel. The elf tool spear remains in the barrel. A sling spear is held to restricted distance by a rubber band.
This tool will hurt the environment too much as it kills the fish. This is not acceptable.
but keep on trying. kevin

 

[firstdive2005]

It seems that while "everyone" has been cautious about how to deal with the LF and wanted to study its invasion, the little MFers have proliferated beyond ever being erradicated. So now they're everywhere in the Caribbean/east US coast (scores on 23 recent dives in Honduras Bay Islands). Very sad to actually see reefs with fewer and fewer typical reef fish due to the voraciousness of the LF.

Anyway, does a clean stab through the middle of the LF with a single spear device kill it? If you detach the LF from the spear and just leave it, what are the chances that it's not a gonner?

Cheers all...

My sling tips have barbs on them to keep them from wiggling off. Only one got away, it swam into a hole and I could not get it without hitting the coral. Not sure what happened.
I have taken them off the tip to feed to groupers and such while alive. I'm thinking if a vital organ is hit it will die soon enough. I'm pretty sure that we should try and kill them with scissors or knives depending on the area.

 

[jleger98]

I was just diving in Cozumel three weeks ago. All but one D.M. we dove with brought a spear specifically for Lionfish. Other boats we saw during our sit times were spearing them as well ( I guess they are pretty good to eat ).

I don't know what the laws are, but there seems to be a good effort underway to spear the little buggers in the park.

Many times, especially with the smaller ones, they will leave them on the reef so the other fish will learn to see them as food. IDK if that will work, but thats what they said.

 

[Pelagicus]

Feeding fish and marine life might interfere with the natural path where animals have to hunt for prey to survive. In the long run, the marine animal might become partially domesticated and loose its abilities to find its own food.

Ideally, some natural predators (not artificially introduced by humans) will start eating lionfish, but currently marine biologists don't really know too much about lionfish predators. The current theory is that some sharks and Goliath grouper eat lionfish.
[Coral-List] Do goliath grouper eat lionfish?

There are also stories that other types of grouper, eel, or larger fish such as snappers eat lionfish, but these other animals probably have not developed a natural immunity to the toxin and may be harmed. Altho they don't die right away, we don't know the long-term effects of them consuming more & more lionfish toxin.

I'm all for educated, controlled ways for humans to hunt and eat the lionfish without harming the coral reefs. However, we should avoid feeding them to other fish at least until scientific studies show it is safe for the ecology. But, as history shows, the ecology is always more complex than we can imagine and humans always manage to screw something up. This other thread shows us just how much we still have to learn:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/368057-lionfish-prey-2.html

 

[adam79c]

Three years ago none, two years ago saw 2 in weeks diving, last year 2-3 on every dive. Easy to make spear, about $2.00 from used items. We carry them on all dives on Bonaire. We are their only predator nasty little buggers - but great eating.

 

[halems]

When we went lion hunting on Cayman in April last year the captures were all done with nets and only by the local DMs who had special permits. Even they were not permitted to use spears. They informed us that the possession of any spear on the Cayman Islands is a crime.

 

[chbagley54]

Does anyone know what laws Mexico has restricting spearfishing. I've just come back from 2 weeks diving in Playa Del Carmen and saw lionfish on virtually every dive.
I'd like to try a pole spear on the little buggers.

We have been spear fishing lion fish in Cozumel Marine Park for almost a year. I was in Cozumel March 6 thru 14 and my dive buddy and I harvested over 100 with pole spears. You should be sure and ask the dive service you use if they allow you to while diving with them. We use Del Mar Aquatics and they support the Marine Park's position on eradicating them from their waters.

 

[tengsr]

No worries, people ask that all the time. In fact, I got my username from the Ron Mexico generator: Ron Mexico name generator

Long story short, Michael Vick was using the alias Ron Mexico to buy STD meds. Someone created a site where you enter your name and get your own Ron Mexico name. Mine was robbcayman, so I've used it ever since.

Alfred Yemen !!

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

As regards why people are spearing lionfish (Pterois) in the Caribbean, see Pterois - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia