Abstract

In Bermuda lionfish are presently concentrated in deeper water (30 - 60 m) inaccessible to volunteer cullers, but they are caught as bycatch in commercial lobster traps set at these depths. Bermuda has banned fish pots, so developing a lionfish-specific trap for commercial fishers would help control this invasive species in deeper waters. Using insights gained from monitoring lobster traps with self-contained underwater cameras, the traps and practices used by the commercial lobster fishery will be modified to increase the catch of lionfish, reduce catch of spiny lobster, and maintain the low levels of finfish bycatch for which this standard-ized trap was developed. Proposed modifications include shading the traps, varying the funnel shape and varying baiting practices. A lionfish trap fishery would operate alongside the lobster fishery in the autumn when offshore conditions are favorable, and could be extended into the summer closed season if lobster bycatch can be sufficiently reduced.

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