The Lionfish Epidemic in the Caribbean
#1
Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:06 PM
What is interesting is how they have moved further deep. Since I was taking a tec class, we were diving down to 165 feet. At that depth we found lionfish condos with dozens of lionfish. My DM shot as many as he could before we had to leave the depth. When we headed north to dive the Odyssey, we killed about 6 on that dive.
And this is in a marine park where daily killing of lionfish is going on. What's really bad is when you leave the marine park they are simply taking over. WW mentioned them in her last Nekton trip. When we saw them on the last trip to North Carolina they looked to be the size of basketball.
Anyone else seen this? And the question is..can we do anything about this invasive species? Or will they simply eat our Caribbean fish until we have nothing but them left?
#2
Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:19 PM
Each wreck has a tale to tell about its life and its demise.
If you are observant while diving in dark places listen to the account each has to tell, You cannot come away unaffected.
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
#3
Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:32 PM
-JimG
#4
Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:52 PM
#5
Posted 01 June 2010 - 07:58 PM
True, except man has killed most of the groupers. Someone with a spear gun will never reduce the threat in any meaningful way. Only nature can do that.The groupers are starting to eat the dead ones and eventually they will turn on the live ones as well. Nature will find a way to balance itself out eventually. They are here for good for predators are starting to come on the scene to limit them. It will take a while so kill all you can.
Tech Support - The hard we do right away; the impossible takes us a little longer...
"I like ponies on no-stop diving. They convert "ARGH!! I'M GOING TO DIE" into a mere annoyance." ~Nigel Hewitt
#6
Posted 01 June 2010 - 09:26 PM
General William Westmoreland
Time on earth is precious, time underwater even more so. Live life one day at a time. Dive your @$$ off!!!
#7
Posted 01 June 2010 - 09:48 PM
#8
Posted 02 June 2010 - 10:48 AM
True, except man has killed most of the groupers. Someone with a spear gun will never reduce the threat in any meaningful way. Only nature can do that.The groupers are starting to eat the dead ones and eventually they will turn on the live ones as well. Nature will find a way to balance itself out eventually. They are here for good for predators are starting to come on the scene to limit them. It will take a while so kill all you can.
You're right, and that applies here in Belize as well. Luckily we don't seem to be as infested with them as Roatan apparently is, but they're here. I always thought they breed or congregate in water below recreational diving depths, so what our DMs here do is pointless. We'll kill a few for sure, but overall numbers will continue to increase. It does seem that groupers are our only line of defence, and here as well most of those have been eaten. It's always struck me as a dirty trick anyway, as groupers are such friendly fish and like to accompany divers.
#9
Posted 02 June 2010 - 11:36 AM
1. The season opens Today
2. There is no bag limit
3. They taste like chicken
4. They are responsible for Dale Earnhardt's death
PROBLEM SOLVED
Each wreck has a tale to tell about its life and its demise.
If you are observant while diving in dark places listen to the account each has to tell, You cannot come away unaffected.
Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
#10
Posted 02 June 2010 - 12:23 PM
I wonder what is necessary to make a Grouper fish farm and re-populate them? They are an edible fish after all so there has to be money in it. If that plan is impractical for hunting Lion Fish then how about sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
Tech Support - The hard we do right away; the impossible takes us a little longer...
"I like ponies on no-stop diving. They convert "ARGH!! I'M GOING TO DIE" into a mere annoyance." ~Nigel Hewitt
#11
Posted 02 June 2010 - 12:34 PM
#12
Posted 02 June 2010 - 03:30 PM
Pretty good as sushi.We brought back and cooked up one of the larger ones we caught and with a little butter & garlic was tasty. The challenge is bagging them without getting stung.
Yet another reason to carry a BIG knife - in addition to compensatory psycho-physiological reasons.
Jacques Yves Cousteau
#14
Posted 02 June 2010 - 04:42 PM
Not yet. Pretty light on detail on that website.Anybody seen or tried a Safe Spear yet?
By law in Bermuda, you need a Lion Fish culling license and the only spear tip you can use to nab Lion Fish are "Paralyser" type.
The two on the left are what we use.
Tech Support - The hard we do right away; the impossible takes us a little longer...
"I like ponies on no-stop diving. They convert "ARGH!! I'M GOING TO DIE" into a mere annoyance." ~Nigel Hewitt
#15
Posted 02 June 2010 - 06:14 PM
Not yet. Pretty light on detail on that website.Anybody seen or tried a Safe Spear yet?
By law in Bermuda, you need a Lion Fish culling license and the only spear tip you can use to nab Lion Fish are "Paralyser" type.
The two on the left are what we use.
Those are the type being used in Roatan too. We then used a long knife with gloves to peel them off the spear. Sometimes despite the spearing and corresponding knife wound they will still swim away. If they actually survived the ordeal, they earned their life back.
They are beautiful creatures though. A couple of them we thought should be brought to a taxidermist. I thought it might not be a bad business to stuff them and sell them down on the cruise ship dock.
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