This picture is of the first Lionfish sighting on March 4, 2010 by Dive BVI photographed in 25 feet of water off Ginger Island. Photo: Provided

Almost a year ago, on March 4, 2010, the Virgin Islands had its first confirmed sighting of the Lionfish and today those sightings have grown where the department is now receiving up to 10 calls per week on lionfish sighting from all over the Virgin Islands with about 35 to 40 fishes caught and destroyed.

The Conservation and Fisheries Department (C& FD) has ever since embarked on a massive campaign to bring awareness to the detriment that awaits from lionfish invasion and has been putting systems in place to tackle and minimize impact to the marine environment.

To magnify the scope of the problem that we are faced with, the C & FD’s informative cards that are distributed in the community states that Lionfish are capable of destroying the entire marine ecosystem of the Virgin Islands which can further lead to the destruction of the entire commercial fishing industry.

Moreover, Lionfish can grow 9 plus inches per year, mature in less than one year, reproduce year-round and are capable of laying 30,000 eggs every four days. They can eat prey up to 75 percent of their own body size, and have venomous spines and no natural predators in the Atlantic.

“We are starting to spot a few in pairs which is what gets you to the panic stage. When you spot them individually you are not as worried but when we start spotting one or two in pairs you begin to worry if we are going to have a reproduction problem,” explained Abbi Christopher, Assistant Fisheries Officer in the C & FD.

Assistant Fisheries Office Abbi Christopher holds up a small Lionfish wearing a safety gloves as she explains about the venomous spines and safety when touching. Photo: VINO

Christopher pointed out that their reproduction is correlated with their numbers; therefore if their numbers are kept low, they do not breed.

“Though frankly one Lionfish is too many,” the scientist explained.

“The Lionfish is really the final straw. We have climate change issues and combined with all the coastal developments and occasional oil spills, our marine system is already stressed and this is really just that last straw that we do not need. It could be the tipping point that sets things into a spiral from a management prospective. We are putting things into place so we are managing and not just reacting to the issues of the marine environment so that we are actually able to maintain it at a sustainable level which is the entire point of the department,” said Christopher.

Referring to the situation in Bahamas, Christopher said Lionfish were left unattended and two years later the population was unmanageable with up to 80 percent of the local species being gone from some of the reef systems. The rest of the Caribbean learned from this and have sought to be proactive in their management strategies.

“In the region, we have never had any of our local fish reproduce this quickly so having an invasive do it introduces a learning curve to which we must adapt,” the local scientist said.

This progression map shows that lionfish were first sighted off South Florida in the early 1990s. From South Florida, lionfish have been dispersed by current; the Gulfstream current has carried lionfish eggs and larvae up the eastern seaboard and south into the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean. In 2000, lionfish began showing up along the US east coast and in Bermuda. Juveniles have been sighted as far north as Massachusetts but do not survive the cold winters there. In 2004, the first lionfish were reported in the Bahamas and since 2007, they have spread rapidly through the northern and western Caribbean. Provided by C & FD

Community response and action
“Is it a problem, yes, is it a problem we are worrying will get out of hand, we say no,” the fisheries officer assured, “A lot of positive steps are being taken and more are pending”.

One of the main reasons for the Lionfish’s prevalence since reaching the Caribbean in 1998, is that they don’t have any natural predators in the region except people and in the Virgin Islands, killing the venomous species is the main way of getting rid of it.

While spear guns have been proven as the most effective method in bringing down the numbers drastically as is evident in neighbouring US Virgin Islands, Christopher pointed out that it is illegal in the VI but legally some provisions have been made to allow for the use of such equipment by designated users.

While the department has nets that are used to help catch the Lionfish, they are only workable on the smaller ones; therefore the success rate is lower on fish over 5 or 6 inches.

Earlier in 2010, the C & FD received a $20,000 pounds grant from the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), to monitor, control, raise awareness to the threat of the Lionfish and combat its invasion.

Colour distinction - Lionfish caught deeper in the sea are darker. Photo: VINO

The department is striving to get community involvement and is so far pleased with the response they have been getting from the divers and fishermen and also the general population. Christopher also highlighted the efforts by restaurants and hotels that have been putting up posters around their premises and the calls they have been getting from tourists and those on snorkel trails.

The local C & FD team continues to maximize all hunting efforts and has also been working closely with the USVI in strengthening their response level.

Asked how the general public can help, Christopher said all it requires is a phone call to 468-9611 if a Lionfish is sighted and its location.

She also assured the public not to panic if they see a lionfish as they will not charge if not disturbed. However, persons are warned not to touch them since they have venomous spines but just to call and be composed to make a report to the department so they can effectively track it down.

Meanwhile, another great option for getting rid of the Lionfish is eating. While the fish is venomous, it is not poisonous and once handled carefully and prepared well it is a safe and delicious fish, some Lionfish fans have confirmed.

This cook book endorses "New strategy for invasive lionfish: if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em".

The Bahamas has been holding several Lionfish tournaments and it is being sold and served on various menus on the island. For those who want to try it, several recipes are available online including fluffy battery Lionfish, Bahamian fish fry Lionfish, and Lionfish taco.

The Lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific region, have infiltrated their way into the Caribbean. Their introduction is believed to be a result of hurricanes and tank releases during the early 1990’s.