Florida Bans Lionfish

[9supratt4]

The State of Florida has banned the importation of live lionfish. This is great news! Lionfish have really been killing native species! I've seen the invasion personally while diving. They are everywhere. You can still have lionfish in your aquarium as long as it comes from Florida waters.

http://www.al.com/news/beaches/inde...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[lefkonj]

About time. We were in the Bahamas this past April and I saw one on a dive. The guys on the tour were telling me that the spearfishing is helping as well as making the Lionfish a great addition to the dinner menu. I have eaten this fish, which isn't dangerous at all to prepare, and its quite good. They were also saying that they are feeding the speared ones to sharks, eels and other large predators, which is creating a new food chain.

While it sucks that this invasive species has caused so much damage, seems like progress all around.

 

[Mark...]

About time. We were in the Bahamas this past April and I saw one on a dive. The guys on the tour were telling me that the spearfishing is helping as well as making the Lionfish a great addition to the dinner menu. I have eaten this fish, which isn't dangerous at all to prepare, and its quite good. They were also saying that they are feeding the speared ones to sharks, eels and other large predators, which is creating a new food chain.

While it sucks that this invasive species has caused so much damage, seems like progress all around.

You would think the big predators would get sick from eating them. Glad its working.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Hasn't the horse already left the barn? This is a day late and a dollar short.

Now what do we do will all these lions off the shores of NJ?

 

[9supratt4]

Paul...I have yet to see a lion off the Jersey coast. As of now I know they have made it as far north as North Carolina. If I do see one though, I will be sure to kill it immediately.

In addition to the ban they also loosened up some of the restrictions on hunting these fish. Divers on rebreathers can now harvest them. The state is finally also allowing the spearing of them in protected areas.

The spearfishing of lions and the lion fish derbies that have been held really are making a difference in the populations which is a good thing.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Quote for HERE:

The red and black dots are locations in the Atlantic Ocean where lionfish have been reported as of May 2003. Notice that sightings are few north of Cape Hatteras. Because lionfish are normally found in subtropical and tropical waters, their distribution is limited in the Atlantic by the colder temperate waters north of Cape Hatteras, where the warm Gulf Stream flows away from the continental shelf. (Photo credit: Paula Whitfield)

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[Empire]

That one spot near CNJ is right by my house

 

[9supratt4]

I wonder when the reports were filed. We will get tropicals swept up in the Gulf Stream toward the end of the summer...September & October. We've had butterflies, tropical triggers, angels and everything swept up. That could be the same with the lions. In the winter though they usually all die out in the winter.