North Carolina Update

I am a Lionfish hunter as well here in North Carolina. Unfortunately we have to go about 25 miles out and 120’ – 140’ deep to get to them. I have great system so I can get 25 to 40 fish in two 15 minute dives (well as long as the Sharks stay away).

BTW My recipe: I like to put a large shrimp followed by a chunk of Lionfish on a skewer and dip it in a Beer Batter or Pancake Batter then roll it Coconut. Refrigerate for 30 min then deep fry. For the dipping sauce us 1 cup Orange or Mango marmalade with 1 tbl of a Caribbean Hot Sauce.

Regards,

Josh Burns

Bahamas Update

Went snorkeling today in Bottom Harbour, N Eleuthera. There are several small patch reefs between Bottom Harbour Club and Cistern Cay a few hundred feet from shore. Everyone, no matter how small had at least 1 lionfish and several single rock reefs had 3 of them. We saw in total 12 to 15 size varied from very small 3inch to about 8 inch.

I know you can't use spear guns in the Bahamas, but can you use them to shot lionfish?

Thanks for your blog,

Mike Harris

letter from NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Dear Lionfish Hunter,
Thank you for raising awareness about the issue of invasive lionfish! I work for NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary where we have been working closely with the dive community since before the first lionfish was captured in the Keys in Jan 2009. With our local partners we have trained almost 300 divers in safe handling and collection techniques, and continue to train individuals and support diver-based control efforts.

I thought you, and possibly your blog readers, might be interested in the second annual Florida Keys lionfish tournaments which are kicking off in three weeks. Last year the inaugural series of three round-ups captured more than 660 lionfish — the largest of which was ~12" and the smallest ~5cm. Your blog post from Nov 2010 links to the Wall Street Journal article on tournaments last year.

I would greatly appreciate any help you could provide in spreading the word about these tournaments.

The press release on the 2011 derbies may be found online at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2011/pr041911.html
Photos from last year's Key West derby may be downloaded from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/nov10/lionfish-hunt.html
Video from last year's Key West derby may be downloaded from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/apr11/2011lionfishhunt.html

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) invite divers to participate in the Second Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Series.

May 14, 2011: Fiesta Key Resort, Long Key, FL
August 20, 2011: Coconuts Restaurant, Key Largo, FL
November 5, 2011: Hurricane Hole Marina and Restaurant, Key West, FL

For more information, or to register online, visit http://www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies. Registration for teams of up to four divers is $120, and gets you a pair of puncture resistant gloves or a clear dry bag, and two awards banquet tickets.

Prizes for the top three teams in each category:

Most lionfish: $1,000 cash, $500 cash, $250 Divers Direct Gift Certificate
Biggest lionfish: $500 cash, $200 cash, $100 Divers Direct Gift Certificate
Smallest lionfish: $500 cash, $200 cash, $100 Divers Direct Gift Certificate

All lionfish must be captured from the waters of the sanctuary on the day of the derby. Mandatory captains’ meeting held the evening prior to each derby will feature a briefing on safe capture and handle techniques. The derby will conclude with a lionfish tasting and awards banquet. View derby rules online athttp://www.reef.org/reef_files/2011FLKeysDerbyRules.pdf

Local hotels and boat rental companies are offering discounts to lionfish derby participants. For discounts for the May 14 derby, visithttp://www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies/MiddleKeysInfo

Safe diving and thanks again for bringing attention to this invasive fish,
Karrie

--  ----------------------------------------------- Karrie Carnes Communications Coordinator Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) 305-809-4700 x236 (w) 305-304-0179 (c) 305-293-5011 (f) www.floridakeys.noaa.gov www.facebook.com/floridakeysnoaagov

Cayman Island lionfish news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9477235.stm

New lionfish blogger

http://savingtheatlanticreefs.blogspot.com/

Killing Lionfish in Roatan, Honduras

My name is Forrest Phillips. I am one of the owners of Southern Skin Divers Supply in Birmingham, AL. Southern Skin Divers Supply is one of the original SCUBA businesses in the United States (est. 1953). We teach people to dive and run dive trips every week all over the world. Just last week we took 18 divers to the Islands of Utila and Roatan, Honduras. I was personally able to do 21 dives during the week. Our group was really there to pleasure dive and take photos but once we saw how the Lionfish have virtually taken over, we started to kill them. Just last year, on this same trip, we saw only about a dozen Lionfish. The diving here last year was some of the best we have experienced in the Caribbean. This year the diving was average and we saw over 200 Lionfish. My opinion is that the Lionfish have a lot to do with the diminished quality of diving here. We killed just over 100 of them. We dined on them 3 times, twice having ceviche and once a tasty Lionfish Pizza.

Lionfish in St. Croix, USVI Story

I recently went back home to the virgin islands after a hiatus for school and such. It was the first time I had been back in a year and was surprised to see lionfish roaming the reefs. I had heard that they had a arrived but my father and others hadn't seen them yet. Long story short is I am appalled to see how effective their invasion has been, and have recently taken up the hobby of eradicating them (I am happy to hear that they are good to eat and next time I am down will have to cook some up).

I was only down for 5 days for spring break and am 4/7 in my endeavor, on the two dives I brought my spear. Enclosed is the photos of three I brought back to the dock, the other one swam off my spear while I was hunting its brother. Those three were found at 80 feet on the westend of St. Croix North of Sandy Point and the other 4 were found at ~20 feet on the Westend South of Ham's Bluff. I did find 4-5 more at 60 feet in front of the RCA building on the reef with the fiber cables, but didn't have my spear on that dive.

It scares me to see them so well distributed in the water column, and to hear storys of a diver nabbing ~50 of them in one outing on the Southside of the island. Overall the reef looked very healthy am just hoping that the next time I go back it will still be as healthy.

-Stephen