Killing for Conservation!

23 Jul 201412:04 AM

Posted in Abaco, Bahamas, Conservation, Dive In, Fishing, Green Turtle Club, Guy Harvey Outpost Ltd., Lionfish | Leave a comment

By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost Travel Journalist

Lionfish Derbies Work, 908 Dead Lionfish Cannot All Be Wrong!

Killing for Conservation?

Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has been leading the fight against this Indo-Pacific invader and after six years of Lionfish Derbies at Green Turtle Cay the evidence is clear: Lionfish Derbies Work! Lionfish now range from Brazil to North Carolina and beyond. They can live in fresh water too! The 908 Lionfish killed in this one day event was fewer than in previous years even with more divers and better weather. AND those fish that were killed this year were smaller than in previous years; another good sign. Lionfish Derbies will not send the fish back to the Pacific; they can however help local communities keep the population in check.

Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain Click Image to Enlarge

The Green Turtle Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge hosted the event. For six years, REEF scientists have conducted a Lionfish Census before and after each event to assess the impacts of the Derbies. REEF estimates that had these 908 demons been allowed to roam Abaco waters for another year they would have consumed between 700,000 and 2.2 MILLION! Native prey fish.

Congratulations and Thanks to REEF & to The Green Turtle Club for executing a great event for an important conservation mission!

For more information on Reef Environmental Education Foundation and other Lionfish Derbies.

For More information on The Green Turtle Club

For More information on Guy Harvey Outpost