Tastes like Chicken: a unique solution to the Lionfish Invasion

[DiveScoop]

Guess that photo answers the question of whether the lionfish can be hooked!

 

[mike_s]

taste like

 

[MarineMammal]

My only fear is that if people's taste for lionfish develops like their taste for tuna, orange roughy, chilean seabass, sharkfin soup etc., then native asian populations might also become threatened as Caribbean populations become scarce and people in developing countries begin overharvesting them to satisfy our hunger.

To Chad Carney: On the contrary most exotic fish invasions have been extremely difficult to control, if not impossible. For support I'll cite the asian grass carp in the Southern US, northern pike in California, snake head in North eastern US and the Nile Perch in Lake Victoria. The list goes on, but I assure you dealing with this problem will not be easy.

As you might have guessed I'm sort of a fish geek....ichthyology was my favorite class in college and I majored in biology/environmental science (for what its worth). I sure hope the experts can find good solutions to these problems, so far they have been tenuous.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Chinese Ring Neck Pheasants were introduced in the US in the 1800's. Apparently because someone was not satisfied hunting grouse and prairie chickens (which are in my opinion a more challenging target and taste the same). Hunting, even in years when the summers or winters were devestating to Pheasant populations, has never been enough to eradicate them, although there has never been any real political pressure to do so as they have been around long enough not to be considered an invasive species.

Eventually 100 years from now, whatever balance will occur will have occurred and Lionfish will probably fall in the same category. I suspect over time some other species of fish in the area will figure out how to effectively dine on them and control the population to some degree.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I suspect over time some other species of fish in the area will figure out how to effectively dine on them and control the population to some degree.

I thought we WERE that "fish" .....http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/287885-lionfish-recipes.html

 

[letterboy]

Chinese Ring Neck Pheasants were introduced in the US in the 1800's. Apparently because someone was not satisfied hunting grouse and prairie chickens (which are in my opinion a more challenging target and taste the same). Hunting, even in years when the summers or winters were devestating to Pheasant populations, has never been enough to eradicate them, although there has never been any real political pressure to do so as they have been around long enough not to be considered an invasive species.

Eventually 100 years from now, whatever balance will occur will have occurred and Lionfish will probably fall in the same category. I suspect over time some other species of fish in the area will figure out how to effectively dine on them and control the population to some degree.

did ring neck pheasants eat everything in site and have no natural predators?

 

[MarineMammal]

"I suspect over time some other species of fish in the area will figure out how to effectively dine on them and control the population to some degree."

Hoping for the best isn't exactly a solution. How can you say this with any certainty?

See these links for what REALLY happens when invasive fishes run rampant:

Invasive fish in the US overview: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1999-05/USGS-Ifpi-190599.php
Nile Perch: NILE PERCH AND THE FUTURE OF LAKE VICTORIA.
Asian Carp: http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/News/documents/AsianCarp.pdf
Northern Pike in California: Pike Wars - CaliforniaConnected.org
Snake Head: The Northern Snakehead: An Invasive Fish Species

There are hundreds of other examples if you care to search for them

 

[jcr247]

I'd try it

 

[DiveMonkeys]

While in Cozumel last week we saw several lionfish. Our divemaster told us there is a 1000 peso bounty within the Marine Preserve. I also understand there is a bounty on them in The Bahamas. Get paid to harvest them and then get a tasty meal...that is if you like chicken.

I understand one of the biggest problems is that predatory fish don't recognize them as food...anecdotally, in The Bahamas, sharks supposedly will only eat dead lionfish. The other problem is the reduction of the predatory fish population...not enough sharks, grouper, or snapper to keep the lionfish population at bay.

We "dispatched" two small lionfish while outside the Marine Park in Coz and the fish in the surrounding bommie certainly enjoyed the meal.

 

[Big John]

I understand one of the biggest problems is that predatory fish don't recognize them as food...anecdotally, in The Bahamas, sharks supposedly will only eat dead lionfish. The other problem is the reduction of the predatory fish population...not enough sharks, grouper, or snapper to keep the lionfish population at bay.

We "dispatched" two small lionfish while outside the Marine Park in Coz and the fish in the surrounding bommie certainly enjoyed the meal.

Waived a lionfish on a polespear in the face a sandtiger on Friday, since he was acting a little too interested in the fish on my stringer. Wouldn't have anything to do with said lionfish, the good news is that that concluded his interest in my stringer too. Have to say he passed up a tasty meal as two made it to my dinner plate. It is a nice clean white meat with the taste and consistency of Sea Bass.