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#20308
 Diver finds new way to control rising numbers of poisonous lionfish
Smithsgold - 10/04/2014 8:49 AM
Category: General
Replies: 7
dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2770954/Brave-dive...a.html#ixzz3EZQcxwkw

Throw them to the sharks! Brave diver finds new way to control rising numbers of poisonous lionfish off the coast of Cuba.

A diver has found a new way to control rising numbers of lionfish off the coast of Cuba - by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks.
Lionfish, which are beautiful but deadly, possess venom in their fin rays, which makes them excellent predators and a threat to fishermen and divers.
The capture and delivery of the lionfish was photographed by French marine biologist Mathieu Foulquie during a trip to the Gardens of the Queen National Marine Park, a popular tourist destination in Cuba.

Read more: dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2770954/Brave-dive...a.html#ixzz3FBx74OCB
#12178
Eric_R - 10/04/2014 11:25 AM
I hope that this works as its been going on since 2011. Only a natural control will ever keep their numbers down. Were not in the water 24 -7 like sharks even though most of us would like to be.
#116
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CaptainRatseye - 10/05/2014 5:56 AM
Lion fish are becoming a huge problem and several dive resorts offer lion fish hunting as a way to help reduce their numbers. I’ve looked at going to Nicaragua to do some myself.

My question is how does a shark eat a lion fish without being injured? The lion fish by design is protected from being eaten by the poisonous spines. It doesn’t appear from the photo’s that the diver breaks off the spines before feeding them to the sharks. I wonder about this.

There is the "World Lion Fish Hunter Association" in Roatan, Honduras if you want more info.

Thanks, Ratseye
#51828
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Greg - 10/06/2014 8:57 AM
There doesn’t seem to be much research on this subject. Here is one research report I found that briefly discusses the predators of lionfish.

"There are few known, if any, natural predators of lionfish, most likely due to the venomous nature of the species. ...it has been speculated that some sharks may consume lionfish with no apparent ill-effect."

procs.gcfi.org/pdf/gcfi_60-63.pdf
#5687
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tshark - 10/07/2014 9:32 AM
IT IS A REALLY BAD IDEA FOR ANYONE TO BE FEEDING SHARKS EXCEPT IN CAPTIVITY!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS GOING TO GET PEOPLE HURT OR KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lionfish are one of the best tasting fish in the sea if you goto the trouble to kill them you should eat them or at the very least bring them to the surface to properly dispose of them. Feeding sharks only teaches them that divers offer free meals!!!!!!!
#116
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CaptainRatseye - 10/07/2014 3:18 PM
I just think it’s a bad idea to feed sharks anything especially something that they may not normally eat. My friend Ben Rose did a lot of shark feeds for Underwater Explorers at Grand Bahama over the years and I cannot remember anyone ever getting hurt either at the feed or later on. We dove those same sites repeatedly including at night and the sharks never approached anyone that I know of. I am not convinced from that experience that feeding makes them aggressive toward divers.

The only time I was worried about sharks around Grand Bahama was just days after a hurricane went through and stirred up the reefs. The sharks would circle you in a very aggressive posture with their fins down and their backs humped up looking at you like you owed them money. That’s the first time I ever brought a group up out of the water.

Thanks, Ratseye
#97
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TheRealVicB - 10/12/2014 6:42 PM
Pensacola Florida is also starting to see a big population boom with the lionfish.
#212
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wbjoe - 10/14/2014 12:14 PM
i just spent 8 days in Bonaire and seen a of abundance lionfish. they have a quick class to sit in to obtain a lionfish hunting permit.that is the only fish on the island that is allowed to be hunted. It was like under and in every coral opening there would be 1-3 lionfish. something needs to be done and im glad i was able to take out a few out of there system.