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Don't know when we will be back but thought someone might find this interesting or worth emulating.
Mikee and Vickie
Winning Team Nets $1,700 in Middle Keys Lionfish Tournament
By Blair Shiver | Oct 31, 2010 | Features |
Weather and a postponement contributed to a low turnout for the Middle Keys lionfish tournament, but one lucky team took home $1,700.
The October 23 tournament in Marathon, organized by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, was the second of three Keys-based lionfish roundups aimed at reducing the population of the invasive Indo-Pacific red lionfish in sanctuary waters. The five participating teams captured 21 lionfish during the one-day event out of Marathon, bringing the total number of lionfish captured during the tournaments thus far to 555.
The winning team, “Team Frapper,” hailing from Vero Beach, brought in 12 lionfish and also caught the largest fish, which measured slightly more than 7.5 inches. The “Lion Hunters” captured the smallest fish of the day - measuring almost 4.5 inches. The Lion Hunters, who traveled to the tournament from Melbourne, Fl., swept the ‘smallest’ fish category and brought in the second largest number of lionfish, netting them $1300 in cash and prizes. A local team, “Marathon Boatyard” led by Joe Bauman, took third place and received a $250 gift certificate to Divers Direct.
The third and final 2010 Keys lionfish tournament will be held November 13 at Hurricane Hole Marina, in Key West. Divers and snorkelers interested in participating may register online at http://www.reef.org. A $100 registration fee provides each team with a pair of puncture resistant gloves — important protection from lionfish spines — and two tickets to the tournament banquet.
Growing populations of lionfish off the southeast U.S. and Caribbean are affecting native reef fish communities and could hamper stock rebuilding efforts. Lionfish have no known predators and consume commercially and ecologically important fish species.
For complete results and derby information go to http://www.REEF.org/lionfish.
Posted : November 4, 2010 5:45 pm
Somebody is emulating it. From http://www.stcroixcalendar.com/ :
Saturday, November 6, 2010:
Lionfish Roundup - Registration begins at 7 am at the N2 the Blue Pier Dive Shop - Weigh-In is at 6 pm at Coconuts - Prizes will be awarded - Please call 772-3483 or email info@n2blue.com for more information.
Posted : November 5, 2010 12:48 am
Why to go Derrek....
Wish I was there to help...
we will not be back on island until 11/12
Posted : November 5, 2010 8:21 pm
Big swells this afternoon kinda messed up the fun, but 12 or so lionfish are no longer eating our local guys. And they tasted pretty good cooked up at Coconuts, too. Ask around and see if anyone else is serving them!
Posted : November 6, 2010 11:02 pm
Good job, St X!
Lionfish could be a disaster for the VI, as they have been for the Bahamas.
Some nations - including the Bahamas - have been slow to revise their "no-spearfishing" laws.
I'm glad the VI authorities recognize the danger and are aggressively going after the problem.
Every time I dive with SCUBA here in St. Croix, we are asked to watch for and mark any lionfish we may see.
Posted : November 8, 2010 11:31 am
Good job, St X!
Lionfish could be a disaster for the VI, as they have been for the Bahamas.
Some nations - including the Bahamas - have been slow to revise their "no-spearfishing" laws.
I'm glad the VI authorities recognize the danger and are aggressively going after the problem.
Every time I dive with SCUBA here in St. Croix, we are asked to watch for and mark any lionfish we may see.
I dive with Coki Beach Dive Club on STT and they give out little lanyards to divers that have a picture of the lionfish and instructions on what to do if one is spotted.
Check out these videos with my dive instructor Derek in them. I've been having a rocking good time out there, then again it helps I can walk to Coki from my house in about 3 minutes. FYI- The beach has a bad rap from the shooting, but I have never felt threatened or unsafe out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBez-dtKSo
Posted : November 9, 2010 5:15 am
St X: I was talking to some marine biologists last weekend who said that they are pretty tasty. Letting the local fishermen have at them might be a real help! Lionfish tacos, lionfish and fungi, grilled lionfish and spuds...
Posted : November 11, 2010 11:03 am
Absolutely! Getting the fishermen involved in killing them on a daily basis rather than killing all the reef fish that nurture the reefs is a win-win situation!
Posted : November 12, 2010 5:23 pm
