Researchers warn of lionfish invasion
CYPRUS is experiencing a lionfish “invasion”, fishers and researchers have warned. The warning was contained in new research by the UK’s University of Plymouth, which showed that “targeted removals followed up by enhanced monitoring can be an effective way of suppressing the number of invasive lionfish found within protected coastlines around the Mediterranean Sea”.
Scientists working as part of a 1.6 million-euro European Unionfunded “ReLionMed” project teamed up with specially trained divers and “citizen scientists” to conduct a series of “removal events” and surveys over a six-month period, a statement from the University of Plymouth said.
“Focussed on three marine protected areas on the coast of Cyprus – the Zenobia shipwreck off Larnaca, and two popular diving sites within the Cape Greco Marine Protected Area – between 35 and 119 lionfish were removed per day by divers at each protected site,” the university said.
“Those sites were then monitored by divers over several months which showed that, in some locations, population numbers recovered within three months.
“As a result, scientists writing in the Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems journal, say such initiatives can undoubtedly be effective in reducing population numbers.
“However, they need to be carefully coordinated to ensure the lionfish are eliminated – including the potential for them to be overfished – in a manner that doesn’t have other negative impacts on other species.”
Researchers from University of Plymouth and the South Cyprus Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab have been collaborating for several years as part of the ReLionMed project, which aims to “assess the history of the lionfish invasion in Cyprus, and identify ways to minimise its future impact”.
ReLionMed research assistant and lead author on the study Periklis Kleitou said: “There are many changes happening within the Mediterranean as a consequence of human activity and climate change.
“The lionfish invasion has been one notable consequence of that, but this study shows there is a potential – albeit complex and challenging – solution.
“One of the interesting aspects of this work has been to see how the training improved divers’ knowledge of the issue, and motivated them to support management efforts.
“That is without doubt something we can, and should, build on to ensure lionfish populations are managed sustainably now and in the future.”
Lionfish first began populating the Mediterranean less than a decade ago, as a result of expansion in the Suez Canal and ocean warming.
The species was first recorded off the coast of Cyprus in 2014, with a lack of common predators – coupled with lionfish’s breeding habits – meaning numbers have increased dramatically with sightings everywhere from coastlines to the deep seas.
The first targeted removals took place in May 2019, having proved successful in areas previously invaded by lionfish, and they have been combined with education programmes around the threats the species pose and how it might be managed sustainably.
Professor of Marine Biology Jason HallSpencer, senior author on the current study and one of the core group of scientists that advises the International Programme on the State of the Ocean, said: “This study demonstrates the complex nature of managing and protecting our ocean. Marine Protected Areas are undoubtedly beneficial in terms of biodiversity on the seabed, but they are also vulnerable to the spread of invasive species.
“Our ongoing research is showing the pivotal role citizens can play in monitoring and managing lionfish, but permitting divers to remove these fish using scuba gear will need to be applied with caution and strictly regulated to avoid illegal fishing.
“If implemented correctly, removal events could protect selected areas from the adverse effects of lionfish, while at the same time help to establish rich and deep links with local communities, strengthening responsibility and surveillance at corporate and social levels, and stimulating public environmental awareness.”
Meanwhile Fikri Aydener, who is a fisherman in Yenierenköy, is among those who have been affected by the invasive species.
He said that the number of lionfish is increasing “day by day” and said that they “eat the offspring of many prized fish in the seas”.
“Our seas are filled with lionfish,” he said. “If precautions are not taken, the grouper fish will become extinct. The lionfish is a great danger to our seas.”
Mr Aydener warned that lionfish should be hunted “just like blowfish”, otherwise those who make a living from fishing will be “unable to cope with this species in the future”.
He said that lionfish have been “seen in our seas” for the past three to four years and that they “reproduce very quickly and can live anywhere from one metre to a 100 metres deep”.
He added that many people avoid consuming lionfish because it is “spiny and venomous” but its “meat is very tasty”.
“Someone who eats a lionfish will want to eat it all the time,” Mr Aydener said.
He added that he catches “a case of lionfish almost every day” but distributes them to his friends because he cannot sell them.