Volume 69
Six Years and 19 Lionfish Tournaments Later: A Look at Size Class Changes
Authors
Johnson, B., M. Orr, and M. Laver Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2016
Pages: 189 - 190
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty eigth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Grand Cayman
Country: Cayman Islands
Abstract
The Invasive lionfish (P. volitans) was first sighted in the Cayman Islands in February 2008 on a dive in Little Cayman. This single lionfish was removed and no other lionfish were reported until October that year in Cayman Brac. In January 2009 lionfish sightings were received by the Department of Environment (DoE) on a daily basis and a full-time response to lionfish began. A removal strategy was drafted and implemented in March 2009 with assistance from the Reef Environmen-tal Education Foundation (REEF) and consisted of training volunteers whereby licensing them to extract and remove lionfish safely from Cayman reefs. Licensing was initially only for dive staff and using nets but gradually expanded to include residents and then short pole spears with a paralyzer tip imported by DoE. With restrictions in place prohibiting the importation of any type of spearing device into the Cayman Islands, the DoE had to apply for an exemption to this in order to import the pole spears for lionfish culling.