Lionfish Also being Examined by Researchers from Dutch University in Order to Combat Invasion
Roge Horsford, Ocean Explorers Dive Centre and Samuel Allen are the first, second and third place winners of the Nature Foundation 2013 Lionfish Derby which was held from October to December.
Almost one-thousand lionfish were brought into the Nature Foundation offices as part of the lionfish derby, which is organized regularly to make the community more involved in combating the lionfish invasion. Previously dive operators took home the big prize but this year local fisherman Mr. Horsford was the main prize winner. Second prize went to last year’s winner Ocean Explorers Dive Center and third prize to journalist, broadcaster and part-time fisherman Samuel Allen.
The Lionfish that were caught are also being examined by researchers from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands in order to better understand the Lionfish invasion and to better respond to the damaging species. Researchers are studying the lionfish DNA and the distribution of the species. St. Maarten is taking part as a part of a wider Dutch Caribbean initiative to combat the Lionfish invasion.
Lionfish are an invasive venomous fish that can inflict a painful and sometimes fatal sting. Lionfish are usually found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but were introduced into the Atlantic thru the aquarium trade. Native fish species do not recognize the Lionfish as a threat so they are unable to defend themselves against it. In other places were lionfish were spotted there are hardly any snappers and grouper left because those are the type of fish the lionfish likes to eat.
The Nature Foundation has been combating the lionfish invasion since the species arrived in local waters on the 15th of July 2010 and encourages fishermen, divers and all those who may have encountered lionfish to contact ma*****@na*****************.org or ad***@na*****************.org or by calling 5444267 during business hours.