DEATH TO LIONFISH HELPS ENVIRONMENT — Venomous, invasive lionfish are not welcome in the waters of the Coastal Bend region say federal and state fishery managers. An exploding population of lionfish threatens both commercial and recreational fishing in the area — a threat that could affect tourism dollars.
A colorful aquarium fish, this particular species of scorpionfishes has established a strong presence in the Gulf of Mexico. Locally, the first one was discovered this past summer, but they don't take long to multiply and take over. They begin breeding within a year of birth and can release up to 15,000 eggs every four days, all year long. More bad news: they live 10 to 18 years. That's a lot of lionfish!
And they eat any and every thing, cutting into the supply of foraging fish that larger game fish depend on to survive. They eat shrimp, crab, octopus and even other lionfish, though not enough of those to make a difference.
Because of their colorful and exotic looks, lionfish have been popular in home aquariums — until they eat all the other fish. Disgruntled owners discarding their ever growing fish into nearby waters are believed to be the cause of an invasion that has negatively affected coral reefs in Bermuda and the waters around the Caribbean Islands, Central America and northern South America as well as the Gulf of Mexico.
The only way to get rid of them is to kill, kill, kill, say experts at a recent Coastal Issues Forum in Corpus Christi. Other experts say they cannot be eradicated, but they can be controlled by introducing natural predators like groupers and sharks to infested waters.
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) sponsors fishing derbies to promote lionfish removal from coral reefs. Around 10, 200 lionfish were removed by derbies between 2009-2012.
Hopes are also riding on developing a culinary market for the fish, which many report are good to eat. Several websites offer recipes for cooking lionfish. You can find recipes on the Lion Fish Hunters website. Reef.org even has a Lionfish cookbook
One problem with fishing them recreationally is that their coral spines cause a painful, but non-fatal, sting when touched. A lionfish sting should be treated with hot water for at least 30 minutes. Once you've removed the spines, you'll find tasty, flakey white meat under the colorful skin. Bon appetit!
