Lion Fish on Menu - Rum Shandy in Frenchtown STT - Delicious!

Great idea!

Several local restaurants on STT serve it when divers bring them in. I don't know if you've ever tasted it but it's nothing remarkable. Reminds me a lot of tilapia which, on its own, is a flaky and tender but pretty tasteless fish but which lends itself very well to different herbs and spices. Hull Bay Hideaway on STT has it on special sometimes as does, I recall, Hook Line and Sinker.

Since Hook, Line and Sinker is near Rum Shandy, I'll stick with Rum Shandy. I like mild fish.

i have heard that grouper are now attacking the lion fish

There is a video of one grouper eating a lionfish online. I would not say this is any kind of pattern at this point. Fisherman, snorkeler, divers and everyone needs to stay vigilant in trying to keep the lion fish numbers under control. I haven't seen nearly enough grouper around STX while diving to think that would even help at this point.

Lion fish breed like crazy and eat everything like crazy and can and doo decimate local fish populations. There's no way our grouper numbers, which are severely depleted, could keep up even if the video showing one eating a Lion fish was not an aberration.

Groupers, I think it's Black Groupers in the Pacific are the Lion fish natural predator. Here in Atlantic and Caribbean waters, they presently have no known predator which is why they are such a threat. Thanks to all the divers and fishermen that catch them.

Next election, I want to see wanna be senators doing lion fish fries for their fund raisers.

I believe part of the problem is that the big grouper, the size that can eat lion fish, have been fished out. The small ones can't do the trick.

down here i imagine they have been fished out. in other parts of the country where regulations matter-probably not so much

I have seen lots of big grouper in the Bahamas but those guys aren't eating any lion fish yet. It may happen one day but the reef fish don't have the time for the grouper to evolve and adapt. By the time the Atlantic grouper species' get that figured out, there will be nothing left.

Please if you snorkel or swim or dive and don't want to kill a lion fish or would rather let someone else do it then leave a marker. Lion fish rarely move too far from the spot they picked out to live. You can get markers at many of the places you rent gear from or the dive shops. It's just a stainless steel washer with some string, a cork and marker tape. You drop the washer by where you see the lion fish and call the report line. Someone from the CORE group will make their way to that site to find and kill the lion fish. Every little bit helps.

Hotline number is 340-201-2340

Here's a great link if you really want to learn more about the lion fish and the different programs ongoing to try and control their population.

http://www.corevi.org/uploads/2/0/4/8/20486700/lionfishplan_usvi_update_feb2014_sm.pdf

The Deep End on STX used to serve lionfish. I liked it, I don't like to eat fish but it was tasty. The breaded it and fried it with honey mustard sauce. I guess anything fried in honey mustard sauce is good.