Lionfish are an invasive species, not native to the Caribbean, and have proven to be very destructive to marine life and a real threat to the reef. Lionfish are voracious eaters and are now one of the top predators on the reef. A mature female releases as many as two million eggs a year!
According to NOAA, researchers have discovered that a single lionfish residing on a coral reef can reduce the recruitment of native reef fish by 79%. Lionfish eat herbivores that eat algae from coral reefs. Without herbivores, algal growth goes unchecked to the detriment of the health of coral reefs. These reefs are already facing the effects of climate change, pollution, disease, overfishing, sedimentation, and other stressors. They prey on fish normally consumed by commercially viable native species like grouper and snapper. Lionfish are a serious threat to marine life and the Belize reefs.
They were most likely introduced by aquarium owners dumping them in the sea in Florida or the Bahamas. Lionfish were first detected in the western Atlantic Ocean in 1985, and since 2004 have spread exponentially to the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish reproduce all year long and have no predators in Belize other than divers. A mature female lionfish releases as many as 2 million eggs a year!
Lionfish hunting and spearfishing lionfish helps to protect the reef ecosystem.
How you can go Lionfish Hunting with Splash
At Splash, we are passionate about environmental conservation and sustainability, including culling the invasive lionfish species. As a responsible dive center, we encourage lionfish hunting. We add a US$ 45.00 fee to the price of a dive for those who wish to spear lionfish to cover the cost of the extra divemaster required to assist and ensure the safety of the lionfish hunters.
We do not allow our divemasters to hunt lionfish except when pre-assigned to lead a lionfish hunt. If the divemaster is hunting lionfish – who is watching the divers? Safety is a real priority in our practices and not just a slogan. In addition, some guests come to see the beautiful underwater life in these waters and are offended by seeing lionfish being speared, which is another reason for keeping sight-seeing divers separate from lionfish hunters.
Our policy is that guests who want to do a lionfish hunt must sign up ahead of time so that we can arrange the necessary safety measures and we require a minimum of 2 lionfish hunters. First, we conduct a short training session for the guests at our dive center before the lionfish hunters even leave the dock. We boil water and carry several thermoses of boiling hot water as that is needed for treating any lionfish stings, in addition to carrying a first aid kit. While doing the lionfish hunt, our divemaster carries the container to collect the lionfish (we do not feed them to sharks and eels and other fish underwater as that affects fish behavior) and our divemaster puts the speared lionfish in the container rather than have the guest do it to reduce the chances of injury.
