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How to Deal with Invasive Lionfish?


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Brian, if you remember the dive trip last year there were a lot of lionfish in NC. On this years trip we did not see a single one of them. The boat captian said they all disappeared over the winter. Either the water was too cold or something decided to add them to the local food chain.

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Brian, if you remember the dive trip last year there were a lot of lionfish in NC. On this years trip we did not see a single one of them. The boat captian said they all disappeared over the winter. Either the water was too cold or something decided to add them to the local food chain.

 

 

i hope something added them to the food chain. I used to live in the FL Keys and i am told they are starting to become a problem down their.

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According to the article they're very good.

 

I'm guessing they would taste like a grouper. It would be cool to setup a WAMAS lionfish hunt / dive trip / fish fry. clap.gif

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  • 3 months later...

Brian, if you remember the dive trip last year there were a lot of lionfish in NC. On this years trip we did not see a single one of them. The boat captian said they all disappeared over the winter. Either the water was too cold or something decided to add them to the local food chain.

 

 

I know that in NC now they have been doing many "Lion Fish Roundups" as dive trips and contests. The fish are sold/ donated to fancy restaurants. And seminars are given about conservation and how to cook the lion fish. And I think there is also a tasting or something fun like that.

 

They normally happen over the summer though. I think they do travel south for the winter-- gets slightly too cold-- but arent they found further north than NC. But we definitely still have them off our coasts.

 

(I go to school in Wilmington NC.)

 

Sara

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Anyone been to Hank's Oyster Bar, Nora's, Poste Moderne Brasserie, or the Ripple and tried it?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

A WSJ article about the lionfish.

 

"The nonprofit Reef Environmental Education Foundation hosted its third "Lionfish Derby" over the weekend in the Florida Keys and handed out $3,350 in prize money to teams that brought in the most fish—109 were killed. Two derbies in the Bahamas the past two years netted more than 2,000 lionfish."

 

http://online.wsj.co...ml?mod=ITP_TEST

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I think we should get a group together and go to one of the local restaurants that serves them... Many of us cannot spearfish for them (although I would love to!!), but we can support those who do by eating them locally and asking for them.

 

Anyone up to a trip to Hank's Oyster Bar, Nora's, Poste Moderne Brasserie, or the Ripple to have some? If we have some interest, I will make reservations and set it up. I recommend trying Hank's Oyster Bar, it seems like a more group-friendly place than the rest.

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OK, I will make some phone calls in the morning and get back to y'all.

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All four of the places the Post listed dont have the lionfish on their menu, the got it before and had it as a special and none of them (talked to three out of four of the executive chefs) know if/when they will be getting it again :(

 

I have have a couple of ideas, I will do some research and check a few things out and get back to y'all.

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Discovery Dive Center down in NC just sent me an email about their Lionfish roundup next year. Is anyone interested in doing this?

 

 

 

2nd Annual Cape Lookout Lionfish Roundup and ongoing lionfish control studies, 6/28/11

The Goal is to increase public awareness of the indo-pacific lionfish invasion and collaborate with the dive industry in lionfish research and control efforts.

 

 

Meeting at Discovery 6-8pm Sunday night for orientation/education on Lionfish.

 

7am Monday show time at Discovery Diving for collection dives.

 

4pm fish cleaning demos and practice, tasting and packaging to overnight some fish to Atlanta, DC, NY, and Chicago to World class restaurants.

 

In cooperation with NOAA we will be conducting live collecting or sampling of lionfish. There will be more dates and details to follow, one date in which we hope to capture 150 live lionfish in the two days to study their spawning.

 

The general thought at this point as the lionfish seem to be here to stay is "population control" and creating a commercial market for them which will also help with the population control.

 

The Indo-pacific lionfish have become well established in the Caribbean and along the US East Coast including North Carolina. Impacts of this invasion to native fisheries and ecosystems could be severe and more information is needed to better determine these impacts and identify possible solutions. Collaborations between NOAA, the dive industry, public aquariums and researchers have proven to be successful in helping to not only educate the public and key user groups, but also to utilize volunteers in gathering important data to satisfy research needs.

 

The 2nd Annual Cape Lookout Lionfish Roundup will be a collaborative effort between Discovery Diving Company, NOAA's Beaufort lab and the North Carolina Aquarium to implement awareness and training programs and to gather lionfish specimens for use in scientific research. Ongoing, monthly efforts will continue this awareness, and the training and collection program will continue throughout the NC diving season.

 

For more information or to book call 252-728-2265 (252 SCUBA-OK) or dive@DiscoveryDiving.com

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

More to the story:

Local benefit dinner

http://www.nationalaquarium.com/freshthoughts.html

Per this article, lionfish could be the main course

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2011/02/15/local-chefs-do-their-part-to-fight-lionfish-invasion/

 

Separately, I think I have found a supplier that will ship steaks. More to come on this, but I think I can smell a "fish fry" coming!

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  • 7 months later...

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