Saving Seafood

FLORIDA: Okaloosa County Lionfish initiative featured in PBS documentary Ocean Invaders

October 28, 2022 — The Coastal Resource Team with Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach is front and center for the new PBS documentary ‘Ocean Invaders.’

Okaloosa County’s tourism branch has a dedicated team working to control the invasive lionfish population. Tourism Director Jennifer Adams said team leader Alex Fogg has been at the forefront of this work for more than five years.

“Alex and the work that he does is really getting recognized on the national and international level,” said Adams. “For me, as the department director to be able to give him and the team the opportunity to continue to do this good work and to grow the scope of work has really been something new for us.”

Read the full article at WKRG

Tool predicts which native fish species are most at risk from lionfish predators

August 23, 2021 — Coastal countries have between two and five years to act to protect native fish species once voracious lionfish arrive in their waters, according to a University of Alberta ecology professor who helped create a tool to predict which fish are in danger.

The lionfish, originally a popular aquarium species native only to the Pacific and Indian oceans, is now a highly  throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, where they are known to consume hundreds of .

“There’s lots of concern about what their impacts will be and also which species are at risk,” said Stephanie Green, Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Global Change Ecology and Conservation in the Faculty of Science. “They’re the perfect invader.”

Read the full story at PHYS.org

FLORIDA: FWC extends Lionfish Challenge and harvesters can win prizes

August 10, 2020 — The coronavirus has meant fewer people fishing and fewer divers spearing the invasive lionfish, which has led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to extend its annual Lionfish Challenge.

Lionfish are a nonnative invasive species that have a potential negative impact on Florida’s native wildlife and habitat, according to the FWC.

The goal of the challenge is to encourage and reward recreational and commercial divers to remove lionfish from Florida waters, according to information provided by FWC. Winners in several categories were to be announced at the sixth annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day, but the 2020 event has been canceled; the next event is now scheduled for May 15-16, 2021.

As a result, the Lionfish Challenge was been extended, with participants now having until Nov. 1 to submit their lionfish.

Read the full story at the Pensacola News Journal

Putting a Delicious Invasive Species on Your Plate

July 27, 2020 — Go for a dive anywhere in the tropical Atlantic and chances are you may see a fierce looking white and red striped fish with a “mane” of spikes running down its spine. Beautiful and ferocious, invasive lionfish have plagued the Caribbean and parts of the Atlantic for over 30 years now. Originally a native of the Indian Ocean, lionfish are carnivorous creatures with a voracious appetite. In the time since their arrival in the American tropics, they have eaten through small native fish species and multiplied exponentially, reducing native reef fish recruitment up to 79% and establishing themselves as the king of the reef. However, not all hope is lost — it turns out they are quite tasty!

Supported by NOAA’s “Eat Lionfish” campaign, divers, scientists and fisherman across the Caribbean and south-eastern U.S. Coast have started hunting lionfish to mitigate their harm to reef communities. In fact, many organizations have come together to support and improve the reef ecosystem by advocating for lionfish consumption. Free public access to scientific research on the ecological impacts and nutritional content of the fish, how-to methodology on how to properly catch and deal with the invaders and even recipes for cooking them have become readily available online to educate and encourage everyone involved in the sea-to-fork cycle: divers, fisherman, wholesalers, chefs and diners.

Read the full story at Medium

FLORIDA: Lionfish populations are down. But experts aren’t sure why or how long it might last

February 20, 2020 — Lionfish populations seem to be down at frequently fished reefs statewide, but experts aren’t quite sure why or how long the decline might last.

Earlier this month, scientists reported that a disease that creates open sores on invasive lionfish collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico may have contributed to a recent population decline.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is unsure of whether the apparent population decrease can be attributed to the disease, mitigation efforts, a natural ebb and flow of invasive species populations or a combination of those factors.

“What we do know is people are seeing them less and less on frequently visited reefs right now, and we do know they’re still in deep waters,” said Amanda Nalley, public information specialist for FWC. “It’s kind of one of those things, it’s fun to talk about, but there’s a lot of caveats and a lot we don’t know.”

Read the full story at the Pensacola News Journal

Open Sores, Lower Numbers Likely Not Invasive Lionfish’s End

February 4, 2020 — A new disease has caused open sores that can eat into the muscles of invasive lionfish and appears to have contributed to an abrupt drop in their numbers in the northern Gulf of Mexico, scientists reported Tuesday. But they hasten to say it’s probably far from the end of the showy invader with long, venomous spines.

Lionfish may even already be bouncing back, said University of Florida doctoral student Holden Harris, lead author of the article published online in Scientific Reports. Numbers of the smallest lionfish taken by spearfishers were way down in 2018, indicating a possible reduction in spawning, but were rising late that year and in early 2019, he said.

“It’s too early, really, to say if that’ll become a full population recovery,” he said.

It’s an interesting development, said Matthew Johnston, a Nova Southeastern University researcher who has written scientific papers about invasive lionfish but had not known about the lesions or population changes. “We’ve always been wondering if they’re ever going to reach their limit in certain locations,” he said. “To date it seemed the populations just kept getting larger and larger and larger.”

Read the full story from the Associated Press at The New York Times

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on an Application for an Amendment to an Exempted Fishing Permit to Test Traps Targeting Lionfish in South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters

August 16, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries is accepting comments on an application for an amendment to an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  NOAA Fisheries provided FWC with an EFP in November 2018 for certain areas in the South Atlantic.  FWC is requesting to amend their EFP to add additional sampling areas (including portions of the Gulf of Mexico [Gulf]), additional fishing vessels, additional number of traps, remove the requirement for research traps to have current certificates, and remove the approval for fishermen to sell any species caught from the research specific trap except lionfish.  The updated proposal is summarized below.  The applicant is testing various modifications to wire spiny lobster traps to harvest lionfish.  This study intends to examine the effectiveness and performance of modified trap designs for capturing lionfish, with the goal of identifying the best modifications to maximize lionfish catch and reduce bycatch of other species.  The activities would also derive biological life history information to improve lionfish control.

AMENDED PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

  • Increase the sampling area from Alligator and Looe Key in the South Atlantic to all Federal waters of the South Atlantic off Monroe County, Florida, and portions of the Gulf.  In the Gulf, sampling with traps would occur in depths from 150-300 feet (46-91 meters) southwest of a line defined by 25°21’ N. lat., 84°00’ W. long at the northwest corner and by 24°28’ N. lat., 83°00’ W. long., at the southeast corner (see map below).
  • Increase the sampling period from two times per month to two to four times per month over the course of the calendar year, including during the spiny lobster closed season.
  • The maximum number of traps that would be allowed to be deployed at any given time would increase from 100 to 300 (200 in the South Atlantic and 100 in the Gulf).
  • Maximum soak times would increase from 21 to 28 days per deployment.
  • Increase maximum number of sampling trips from 40 to 160 per year.
  • Increase number of federally permitted commercial fishing vessel participating in the study from two to eight.
  • Remove the requirement that traps would be required to have a current endorsement, stamp, or certification; however, FWC would mark each of the research traps.
  • Contracted commercial fishermen would no longer be permitted to sell any catch from the research traps except for harvested lionfish not needed for research purposes.
  • Representative sub-samples of any fish species would be collected by FWC for species identification verification in the laboratory as needed.

Read the full release here

Lionfish ear-bones reveal a more mobile invasion

July 19, 2019 — Just as lions are apex predators on land, lionfish in Florida are an underwater force to be reckoned with. The biggest threat they pose, however, is not their venomous spines. It is the alarming speed and ferocity with which they invade new waters, eating prey that have not evolved to recognize them as a predator, stealing food from important commercial fish like snapper and grouper, and spawning baby lionfish at incredible rates.

In the 1980s, lionfish (native to the South Pacific and Indian Ocean) were introduced to Floridian waters, possibly by humans who bought them as exotic pets and later released them to the ocean. Over the next decades they spread rapidly, and today they have thoroughly invaded their preferred warm waters in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, damaging the native coral reef systems and food webs.

“The destructive nature of the lionfish invasion is partly to blame on their reproductive success,” says Montana Airey, a masters student at Columbia University who studies lionfish. “They can produce thousands of eggs every week, which after hatching can spread widely on ocean currents. Also, since they are invaders, their prey don’t recognize them as dangers, so they can eat without much effort.”

As adults, lionfish tend to be slow-moving and stay local, not straying far from their settled reef home. The invasiveness of lionfish is therefore thought to happen when they are small, larval fish being carried to new places by currents. However, researchers have little information about how grown lionfish might invade or move to new waters because tracking small marine organisms poses difficulties.

One way to investigate their movements, though, is to study their ear-bones.

Read the full story at Science Daily

New Video from Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Showcases Fight Against Invasive Lionfish

June 5, 2019 — This week, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) is convening Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C. Additionally, President Trump has declared the month of June “National Ocean Month” in recognition of the importance of the ocean to the economy, national security, and environment of the United States.

For the duration of Ocean Week, Saving Seafood will share materials related to the sustainable and economically vital U.S. commercial fishing and seafood industries, including information tied directly to events being organized as part of the NMSF conference.

The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

A new video released today by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA), ‘Eat ‘Em to Beat ‘Em’: Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Fights Invasive Lionfish, shows how members of the alliance are doing their part to help eliminate the scourge of invasive lionfish from Southeast U.S. waters.

Lionfish were first detected off the coast of Florida in 1985 but only began spreading rapidly throughout the region in recent years. Fishermen today are seeing more and more lionfish on the reefs and fewer of the native species that the industry and region have historically relied on.

Florida officials launched a lionfish awareness initiative in 2014 to inform the public about the invasion and let people know that they can kill and eat the fish. Local chefs are discovering popular ways to serve lionfish in restaurants and there’s now a healthy market for them.

“People are inherently jazzed on the idea of being able to one, enjoy their meal, and two, be a positive impact on the environment,” says Parker Destin, owner of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group and a GCSA member, in the video. “At the end of the day, they can feel good about having eaten [lionfish].”

Classes for both school-age children and adults are teaching people about the invasion and proper methods for eradicating the fish. Tournaments are bringing together fishermen to eliminate as many lionfish as possible. Since the lionfish awareness campaign began in 2014, it has tracked the removal of over 500,000 fish—and the actual number is likely even higher.

Members of the GCSA are in Washington, D.C., this week for Capitol Hill Ocean Week and will be featured at the 44th Annual NOAA Fish Fry this evening. Mr. Destin of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group will be serving red snapper two ways: pecan encrusted and pan seared with lemon Beurre blanc. Greg Abrams of Greg Abrams Seafood will be serving tuna ceviche and fried oysters in a Kung Pao sauce.

About the GCSA

The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) unites fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants to advocate for the fair distribution of fish across the Gulf Coast. Americans who live in or visit the Gulf should have fish to catch at sea and fish to buy on shore. Our members drive a fishing economy that provides jobs, promotes tourism, and delivers fresh seafood across the Gulf Coast.

FLORIDA: Emerald Coast Open Ends With Record-Breaking Numbers

May 23, 2019 — This year’s Emerald Coast Open was a record-breaker with nearly 20,000 lionfish removed from the water in Okaloosa County.

The annual fishing tournament aims to reduce the number of lionfish from the Gulf of Mexico where they pose a threat to native marine life.

During the pre-tournament competition, which began Feb.1, lionfish hunters removed 5,048 of the invasive species.  Another 14,119 were removed during the main event last weekend, bringing the grand total to 19,167. The tournament had a total of 189 individual hunters from across the United States and Caribbean.

“Last year’s total was 9,000,” said Brady Hale, marketing coordinator for the Emerald Coast Open. “We had a big jump in numbers and we almost doubled in participation.”

The winning team, Florida Man, finished the tournament with 2,241 lionfish earning the $10,000 grand prize. Captain Josh Livingston said he had been hunting lionfish for the past five years. He’s also working with the University of Florida on deploying lionfish traps in the Gulf.

“There’s a lot of prep work — understanding where the fish are at, looking for trends and creating a solid game plan,” he explained.

While there were cash prizes at stake, lionfish removal is more about conservation than competition. For the past 30 years, the non-native species have invaded the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean reducing fish populations at a rapid rate.

“They can eat 30 to 40 fish per hour, they’re prolific breeders and they have no predators…it’s a trifecta of bad,” Hale said.

Another concern is the local commercial and recreational fishing industry, especially in Destin which has the largest commercial fishing fleet in the state.

“There are hundreds of boats that go out — one lionfish can really take out a population of fish,” Hale said. “In the early 2000s, the Bahamas lost up to 80% of fish diversity (to lionfish). People aren’t going to come here and pay to fish red snapper if there’s none left.”

Read the full story at WUWF