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Turning the Tables

Lionfish are unwelcome and do not belong in the tropical Atlantic. Their natural domain is in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, where they are a normal part of the reef ecosystem. Here in the Caribbean, they are wreaking havoc on the reefs and coastal waters almost all the way around the Gulf of Mexico and up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States. To counter this destructive trend, many active stakeholders and researchers are doing their part to eradicate the problem. Here, we are trying to encourage the commercial hunting of the species as well as volunteer lionfish culls and derbies. Marine scientists recommend catching and eating lionfish as one of the most effective ways of curbing their population growth and controlling their expansion. When you choose to buy lionfish, you’re helping to prevent the spread of this invasive species.

In the Caribbean, it’s common to see lionfish hovering above the reefs throughout the day and gathering in groups of up to ten or more on a single coral head. They are ferocious eaters that typically flutter their fins to herd smaller fish into a group, then when they have cornered their prey, they pounce. Divers are using a similar strategy; as the lionfish gather together to eat, it is the opportune time for divers to strike with their spears, when they can spear one after another in a maximally productive way. Hunter divers can capture hundreds in a single day.

With fishing comes fishing tournaments. And over the past few years, several lionfish derbies have launched throughout the region; these are often organized as special day-long or weekend-long tournaments with generous cash prizes for winners. These events are primarily for the purpose of collecting, removing, and, most importantly, eating as many lionfish as possible. They have proven to be incredibly popular among local fisherman, dive groups, boat owners, and their families and friends. Not only can you enjoy tasting lionfish in every form imaginable at these events, you can also relish taking part in the accompanying festivities, which often include live music and cooking demonstrations by chefs. Notably, these derby events help to draw media attention to the Atlantic lionfish invasion as well as help grow the commercial lionfish market. This sustainable awareness is one of the goals of this lionfish book.

Efforts are underway in many coastal regions of Florida to reduce the lionfish population through lionfish rodeos and derbies in which spear fishers dive and spear the animals in their habitat. REEF, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, has been hosting annual lionfish derbies for over ten years. Currently the REEF Lionfish Series Championships in Florida include an annual winter lionfish derby in Key Largo and summer series in Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota. The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium currently hosts an annual lionfish culinary competition. Additionally, there is an annual Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby and Festival as well as the Annual Upper Keys Lionfish Derby and Festival Series Finale. I have witnessed the mayhem and joy of the competing diver teams coming back in late afternoon, their ice chests brimming with writhing lionfish. Whoever catches the largest, the smallest, and the grand prize fish and the team that lands the most lionfish that day have a chance to claim the derby as well as bragging rights for the entire year.

Solving the lionfish problem has a delicious solution! We need to make the lionfish available to chefs and home cooks alike. A positive step in this direction is happening in Florida at Whole Foods Market. Since the Monterey Bay Aquarium rated lionfish “Green” in 2016, Whole Foods Market offers lionfish at all their Florida stores, creating a market for this tasty predator and hopefully making a dent in the growing lionfish population.

In Grenada, there is an annual dive fest to hunt lionfish. In the Cayman Islands, the Cayman United Lionfish League (CULL) organizes lionfish culling tournaments every quarter, with each hunt culminating in an island-wide lionfish feast. And in Curaçao, divers can join lionfish hunts organized by several dive operators. St. Barts recently held its own lionfish rodeo to engage the island community in the effort to mitigate the invasive species in the St. Barts Nature Reserve.

For small-island states in the Caribbean like Barbados, the oceans are a critical element to the survival of the people who live there, so they are disproportionately affected by issues such as rising sea levels, overfishing, and intruding predatory species like lionfish. Forward-thinking local initiatives focus on promoting sustainable fishing methods and supporting responsible artisanal fisherfolk.

A lionfish derby is held annually in collaboration with the Barbados Lionfish Project. Members of this community are active in Slow Fish, the official Slow Food® campaign for sustainable fisheries. The main objective of Slow Fish’s social media activity is to educate people about what they can do to make change through their eating choices and habits.