Pirate of the Caribbean
Beautiful as they are, lionfish in the wrong environment are killers of young fish to an extraordinary level. Help is at hand, however, in the kitchens of the Caribbean.
Invasive and voracious lionfish have had a devastating effect on other marine life, but conservation efforts are underway – starting in the kitchen
The Caribbean is under attack. Not from pirates or the dreaded zika virus, but from one of the most voracious predators known to man – the lionfish. According to US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the lionfish consumes more than 50 species of fish, plus invertebrates, including octopus, shrimp and juvenile lobster.
This invasive species, having laid waste to reef ecology and marine life in the Caribbean for nigh on two decades, has convinced a number of biologists that, aside from onshore habitat destruction, it is one of the worst threats to biodiversity in the region.
Red lionfish ( Pterois volitans) and common lionfish ( P. miles) are complex fish species native to the waters of the Philippines. Related to the local scorpionfish, and almost gorgonesque in appearance, they have a striking, striped, reddish-pink livery, long wavering fins and an array of venomous spines fore and aft.
Rumours have suggested that in 1992 Hurricane Andrew damaged an aquarium on the Florida coast, allowing its lionfish collection to escape. But it’s now generally accepted that owners of home and office aquaria became alarmed at the growth of the fish over time and therefore offloaded them into canals and the sea.
Taking over
Once present in the Caribbean, lionfish expanded their range rapidly and, in a remarkable progression, were soon established throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the east coast of Central America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles, before infiltrating north through the US Carolinas into New England and southwards into northern Brazil, decimating native fish and crustacean populations.
The reproductive cycle of the species is truly extraordinary – a female becomes sexually mature at nine months, produces eggs all year round, and is capable of laying more than 20,000 eggs every four days, or up to two million annually. The adult thrives in an extended water column from shallow coastal seagrass beds to depths of more than 300m offshore, and specimens up to 50cm in length have been observed. Within its home waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, its numbers are controlled by predation from the snapper and large grouper species, but these have been overhunted in the Caribbean.
As with any conservation project, reducing lionfish numbers and reestablishing native populations needs a multi-pronged approach, including
restoration of habitat and protection against overfishing of native species. In Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries, the eradication programme is getting help from local chefs, who are putting lionfish on their menus.
A major regional programme, called Mitigating Threat of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean, was inaugurated several years ago by the United Nations and Global Environment Facility. This delivered Jamaica’s lionfish pilot project and instigated the splendidly named Eat ’Em to Beat ’Em campaign, which aimed to create a market for lionfish and has encouraged fishing for the species.
It’s a practical solution that is gaining traction. Despite the fearsome looks of lionfish, its flesh has been compared favourably to Chilean seabass by one or two gourmets, and in the Arab world it’s seen as a delicacy.
Though there has been some confusion in the minds of people between the notion of venomous, as opposed to poisonous – leading to the fear of falling ill if they eat lionfish – the campaign has included educational TV programmes showing how to prepare the fish for the table.
Fishermen face a greater danger when spearing, netting and handling lionfish. A puncture wound from a spine is incredibly painful, causing severe numbness and swelling, and possible tissue loss, with stomach cramps and vomiting not uncommon. In extreme cases there can be fainting, seizure or respiratory arrest. Training and heavy-duty gloves are required to prevent injury.
Peter Seupel, Director of the Aquanauts dive centre in Grenada has observed mindsets changing, though slowly, “Tuna, barracuda and kingfish are still a staple,” he says. “But I like lionfish battered. It’s high in healthy omega-3 fats, we’re protecting the marine environment, and it tastes good.”
Leading the way
Jamaica – with the longest coastline in the region and three marine laboratories supported by the University of the West Indies (UWI) – has been in the vanguard of lionfish research and management. Substantial progress has been made there in all facets of control and the wider spheres of marine conservation, reef regeneration and fish sanctuary establishment. Dayne Buddo, a UWI marine biologist and the CEO and research director of the Alligator Head Foundation, highlights the legislative issues that had to be overcome: “The fish sanctuary here, one of our largest at 12km², was inaugurated in 2009,” he says. “The law stated there could be ‘no removal of marine life’, which prevented us culling the lionfish – it took two years to change the statute to ‘special fisheries conservation area’. We now have 14 designated island-wide.”
“In 2010, I might take 40 lionfish in a single dive, now I might go five dives and not see one.”
Long-term spear fisherman Captain Josef notes: “In 2010, I might take 40 lionfish in a single dive, now I might go five dives and not see one. Yes, we may have it under control, but we can’t be complacent.”
The quarterly in-water surveys have been scaled back in the larger coastal towns of Negril, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. “We feel as though we’ve achieved something,” says Dayne. “Most hotels with a diving interest bought into the culling concept, but we still have initiatives planned, such as lionfish ‘derbies’ with prizes and beach cook-ups. It’s important to remember that every lionfish taken out equates to 50-plus juveniles of primary species such as snapper, grunt, parrotfish and lobster surviving another day – and that is absolutely pivotal to a sustainable future.”
Further east, at Oracabessa in St Mary, things are also improving, as a 72-hectare sanctuary has been demarcated with active wardens. Jonathan Gosse of the Oracabessa Foundation and Fishermen’s Co-op says, “The Jamaican Government should be praised for setting up this protected area. Seeing a fully grown snapper five years ago was like seeing a mermaid, but now they’re definitely getting bigger.”
The adjacent GoldenEye hotel, owned by music mogul Chris Blackwell, has
been a major catalyst. Former sous chef Clarence Smith targeted lionfish as part of a seafood-based menu where possible. “The consensus among our spear gunners is there are definitely fewer [lionfish] around,” Clarence says. “They’re more nocturnal and feeding much deeper, at up to 152m.”
Other high profile hotels and restaurants help by also featuring lionfish, while national icons, including singer Grace Jones and reggae superstars Bunny Wailer and Sizzla, have happily bought into the movement – giving their time freely to land-based projects, such as beach cleans and media promotion.
Making a difference
Jamaica is at the cutting edge of coral replenishment projects via artificial modules, growing staghorn and other species on fishing lines and metal frames then ‘replanting’ up to 2,000 pieces when growth is evident up to nine months later. Sections of concrete blocks, replicating the nooks and crannies of healthy reefs, have also been successfully laid to stimulate shellfish habitat development.
In the lush parish of Portland, the Alligator Head Marine Laboratory and Foundation benefited from the philanthropy of Francesca von Habsburg, a key contributor to the core programme, in a bid to energise progress towards a workable sustainable future for livelihoods through conservation. Fish health, water quality, coral replenishment and community engagement are all implicit in this, with locals encouraged to avoid reef fishing generally and concentrate more on offshore ‘running’ fish, such as tuna and marlin.
Former Marine protected-area manager Fabian Kyne says: “We’re trying to repeat the biggest success story in communityled conservation at Mexico’s Cabo Pulmo National Park. Lionfish have definitely diminished inshore, but we’re still unsure whether larger populations have migrated to deeper waters and we simply don’t have the resources island-wide for regular surveys. Our preservation area here is delineated at 3km² and is fully demarcated with buoys.”
Jamaica’s Montego Bay has captivated divers for decades, and two special fisheries conservation areas are now designated as part of the original Marine Park established in 1992. Former outreach officer Joshua Bailey is rightly proud of their impact in reducing lionfish density by 60 per cent through wardens’ strict enforcement, educational courses for fishermen, and weekly culling exercises. “We probably reached 25,000 children, too, over three years, and three local restaurants now feature [lionfish] on a permanent
basis.” Joshua says.
Changing times
Further afield, in the rural far south west of St Elizabeth, The Treasure Beach Foundation, and innovative Jakes Hotel are a driving force for community tourism and environmental good practice. The fish sanctuary at Galleon Beach to the north, near Crawford town, is unique in having a buffer zone and almost 100 per cent compliance. In the past five years, fish stocks have increased dramatically to 27 species after lionfish targeting and reef restoration; mangroves and seagrass have been restored, Critically Endangered manatees have returned and ospreys have arrived, too. A transformation that shows just what can be achieved, and a template the rest of the Caribbean would do well to follow in the continuing battle against the unwelcome, striped invader.
FIND OUT MORE
The Alligator Head Foundation: alligatorheadfoundation.org