The invasive lionfish

Lionfish: Giant African snails of the sea? (Or Worse?!)

Some fun facts about these beautiful creatures:
Lionfish belong to the Scorpion fish family and are ambush predators (they sit and wait which also means that they will not generally swim away from you and are relatively easy to shoot).

There are two reported species of lionfish; of which one, the red lionfish (Pterois volitans in case you were itching to know the scientific name) was first reported in November 2011 in Barbadian waters. We were pretty much doomed as we had invasions coming to our waters from both the North and the South so it was only a matter of time as there was no stopping the lionfish movements in the currents. 

So why are we so worried about these beauties? (Lionfish 101):

• They become sexually mature in less than a year
• They reproduce every 4 days throughout the year and a female can spawn over 2 million eggs/year (that's a lot of babies!)
• They have little to no natural predators in the sea (but have been found in the stomachs of snapper and grouper). We, humans are their main predator; usually a bad thing when humans are another species main predator but in this case, they are taking over (a little more information on their ecology will help you to understand why this is bad).
• These species have been known to consume up to 70 species of fish, many of which are recreationally and commercially important. Without these fish, the already poor state of our reefs will suffer further which has implications for fisheries and tourism and thus you! On the flip side, these species can create greater tourism as divers love to see their beauty both in their natural habitat and in the aquarium trade (always two sides to a story).
• They possess venomous spines which can cause stings and reactions in humans so take care when handling and cooking (Yes, we encourage you to eat them; many fishers and locals say they taste "sweet fuh days" so time to get them on our menus and serve as a delicacy like other places in the world). 

So now that you have taken a short course on lionfish, take a breath and find out what you can do to help. 

Check out Lionfish-Barbados on fb* and look out for the island's first lionfish derby coming up in the middle of this year, followed by a weigh-in, talks to increase education and awareness on handling and cooking, how to make your own catching unit followed by a cook-off and tasting!

Some people do not agree with this large-scale culling event but in the case of the invasive lionfish, often this is the most successful solution before it is too late (would love a challenge if you feel differently). Many of the island's dive shops, fishers and locals have already been playing their part by killing the fish and either leaving them on the reefs or cutting off the spines and cooking them up on return to land. We urge you to do the same! 

So a quick recap: high numbers of lionfish = less fish for fishermen= less local fish for you= lower food security= higher import bills = even unhealthier reefs= lower tourism= bad (hopefully you get the gist!)

So if you see a lionfish out swimming or diving, enjoy their beauty, take a photo and if you have the correct materials, the best course of action is to kill the fish and leave it on the reef. However, wouldn't it be great to have lionfish on many of the restaurant menus?

Stay tuned for more coming your way and email us at marine-conservation@bethechangebarbados.org or check us out on Fb*,

Nikola*