Saving Seafood

Whole Foods Market to sell invasive lionfish starting Wednesday

May 26, 2016 — Whole Foods is set to sell fresh lionfish in seafood departments, hoping to take a bite out of the non-native, invasive species hurting Florida’s offshore reefs.

Starting Wednesday, 26 Florida Whole Foods stores will begin selling the whole delicate white fish for $8.99 a pound through May 31. The fish will be priced at $9.99 per pound starting June 1.

The economically-priced fish, which has 18 venomous spines, is safe to consume once the spines have been removed. “Once caught and placed on ice, the lionfish physically cannot release venom from the gland, ensuring safe consumption for shoppers,” says the release. The flesh is not poisonous.

Read the full story at the Sun Sentinel

FLORIDA: Panhandle leaders seek ways to end lionfish invasion

May 11, 2016 — Environmental leaders are looking for an economic roar from the troubling invasion of lionfish into the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Because of the high concentration of the fish in the waters off Pensacola, the region has become Florida’s lionfish capital, the leaders said Monday night during a Regional Lionfish Control Workshop sponsored by Escambia County.

“What we are trying to do is to turn that lemon into lemonade,” Anna Clark of the Pensacola-based environmental advocacy organization Coast Watch Alliance told the group.

Clark and others pushed ideas that might provide a boost to the local economy while also combating the lionfish problem, including ecotourism based on “lionfish safaris.”  The plan would encourage divers who spearfish to come to the area to hunt lionfish.

Clark’s organization and the University of Florida’s Sea Grant program also are working to encourage retailers to sell lionfish meat and to promote restaurants that offer lionfish-based menu items.

Read the full story at the Panhandle News Journal

Lionfish Removal Effort Ramps Up: Florida Incentivizes Anglers to Help Target Invasive Species

April 22, 2016 — They’re the beauties with the beastly reputation—one so unwelcome that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has launched a new incentive program aimed at their eradication.

We’re talking about lionfish, those ornately designed invasives of aquarium origin that have overrun reefs throughout Florida’s coast. Exploding in numbers, lions compete with native species and upset local ecosystems.

You’d think that all the grouper, sharks, and barracuda would appreciate the additional forage, but lionfish pack a set of poisonous spines that warn would-be diners to back off.

So, that leaves humans to handle the task of eradicating these fish, or at least controlling their numbers. And that’s the idea behind the FWC’s 2016 lionfish removal program highlighted by a Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day on May 16.

Read the full story at Outdoor Life

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Approves Lionfish Removal Efforts

April 14, 2016 — At its April 13 meeting in Jupiter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a two-part lionfish plan to further encourage removals of the invasive species in 2016.

Lionfish have a potential negative impact on native wildlife and habitat and the FWC encourages divers and anglers to remove them from Florida waters whenever they can.

The two-part initiative will include a statewide reward program that will expand upon 2015 efforts and a Panhandle Pilot Program.

“Innovative programs like these are a great way to generate public involvement and interest in controlling the lionfish population,” said FWC Chairman Brian Yablonski. “Those that remove lionfish not only get rewarded for their efforts, but they also get the experience of helping manage Florida’s fisheries. In addition, involving Florida’s residents and visitors helps us gather better data to continuously evaluate and improve our approach to invasive species control.”

See the full story at The Fishing Wire

Could invasive lionfish end up in Chesapeake Bay?

December 29, 2015 — Few fish are as lovely as the lionfish. Few are as venomous.

A frilly, colorful native of the clear tropical waters and reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, the lionfish has been a favorite of aquarium hobbyists for years.

In the Atlantic, however, it was unknown.

Then in the 1980s genetic researchers believe a handful of hobbyists in Florida, perhaps thinking it a kindness, released their aquarium pets into the wild ocean.

At that point, the lionfish proved they aren’t just lovely and venomous — they also breed like rabbits on Viagra. Ravenous eaters, they gobble up any smaller fish they spot and easily displace native species. And because nothing in this part of the Atlantic recognizes them as prey, their population has exploded into a serious and unfortunate marine invasion.

“It’s gotten really bad,” said Richard Brill, fishery biologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point.

“There’ve been some efforts in Florida and some parts of the Caribbean to get people to eat them. And there’s been some efforts — and this is pretty crazy — but groups of recreational spear fishermen have been spearing them and then feeding what they catch to sharks, trying to convince the local shark population to eat these things.”

The hardy little invaders have established year-round populations from the Gulf of Mexico to the Outer Banks. They’ve been spotted in warmer months as far north as Massachusetts, although they can’t survive the northern winters.

Read the full story at the Hampton Roads Daily Press

 

Rep. Clawson introduces lionfish legislation in Congress

August 5, 2015 — Curt Clawson, R-Bonita Springs, has introduced a bill that would ban importing all 11 lionfish species, including the nine that have not been found in U.S. waters.

The bill would not interfere with the selling of fish fillets, which encourages to help eliminate the fish in Florida waters.

The bill was introduced last week.

Lionfish are an invasive species and can consume up to 40 juvenile sports fish per day, lay up to 2 million eggs per year and has no natural predators in the Western Hemisphere.

Read the full story at News-Press.com

 

Clawson introduces lionfish legislation in Congress

August 4, 2015 — FLORIDA –Curt Clawson, R-Bonita Springs, has introduced a bill that would ban importing all 11 lionfish species, including the nine that have not been found in U.S. waters.

The bill would not interfere with the selling of fish fillets, which encourages to help eliminate the fish in Florida waters.

The bill was introduced last week.

Lionfish are an invasive species and can consume up to 40 juvenile sports fish per day, lay up to 2 million eggs per year and has no natural predators in the Western Hemisphere.

Read the full story at News-Press.com