Florida is home to some of the best fishing in the entire country.
The Sunshine State’s waters are facing a scary threat.
And Florida fishermen are going to war against one problem that is wreaking havoc.
Invasive lionfish causing problems in the waters around Florida
Lionfish were brought to the United States from the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific for aquariums because of their zebra-like stripes.
These fish were released into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean where they began to cause problems in the ecosystem in the natural and coral reefs they inhabit.
Lionfish are ravenous eaters and began to take a toll on native fish like grouper, snapper, and others.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that lionfish can reduce the population growth of native fish by 80%.
And they have no natural predators in the waters of Florida.
That is why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched its annual lionfish challenge to help control the population.
Divers hunt them in the reefs off Florida’s coast with pole spears in the summer-long tournament.
Jacksonville resident Baye Beauford took home first place in the recreational division with 915 lionfish speared.
Solving invasive species problem by turning them into food
This year’s challenge set a record with 31,773 lionfish caught by 285 divers who competed in the event.
Matt Myers won the commercial division by hauling in 1,785 pounds of lionfish.
The divers competing in the commercial division sell the Lionfish that they capture.
Their skin can be used in jewelry or other crafts.
And they happen to be delicious to eat.
Lionfish have a flaky, white taste that is similar to red snapper.
Beauford said that his family has come to love lionfish, and he hopes it becomes more popular at restaurants.
“People don’t hear about them because they’re not on the menu in a lot of places,” Beauford told Outdoor Life. “We have one distributor here that owns nine restaurants, and he showcases them on his menu. But that’s pretty much it up here [in Jacksonville].”
The lionfish can replace the snapper and grouper they eat on the menu.
“Lionfish can eat three times their body weight in one day, and they’re eating grouper and snapper and all of the species that are heavily regulated that we would otherwise be eating,” Beauford explained. “But this species is actually a sustainable source of fish. We can’t get them all, and they multiply so fast.”
He does not chalk up his success in the challenge to skill but the abundance of lionfish in the waters off Jacksonville.
“The first year of the challenge, I got second place and I didn’t even try,” Beauford said.
Beauford is going to keep hunting lionfish with his crew until next year’s competition when he gets a chance to defend his Lionfish King title.
“It feels great,” Beauford about winning the crown in this year’s competition. “We all know each other. We’re a team that goes out and kills it.”
Turning lionfish into a popular choice for a meal could be one way to keep their populations in check.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
