Anxious to prevent the collapse of Jamaica’s overexploited marine fisheries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is promoting the consumption of lionfish to control its burgeoning population. At risk officials say, are the nation’s marine biodiversity, its food security and economic well- being.
“The situation in Jamaica is urgent,” said Nelsa English, national coordinator for the Jamaican component of a Caribbean-wide Invasive Alien Species Project at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
Jamaica’s marine resources are stretched to the breaking point, its reefs overfished and degraded due to environmentally unfriendly fishing practises such as the use of explosives, poisons and fishing nets that are below the legal mesh size.
“Currently our fishing industry survives on the removal of young adults. This practice does not allow for enough fish to mature and reproduce which puts pressure on the fecundity of the ecosystem,” English told IPS.
The lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) was first seen in Jamaican waters in 2008 but rapidly spread island-wide. Experts say they can reduce survival rates of small reef fish by as much as 80 percent; growing to an average of 15 inches and spawning up to 30,000 eggs at least twice a year. There are few predators of this Pacific native in the region besides groupers and there are not many in these overfished waters.
The Montego Bay Marine Park, a marine reserve and fish sanctuary on the island’s north coast, is culling the lionfish to reduce their numbers.
Jamaica has one of the highest rates of endemism – unique local species – in the Caribbean and also has one of the largest numbers of invasive alien species – a total of 102.
This puts it third behind Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, islands that are also fighting the lionfish invasion.
Like Jamaica, regional governments are pitting the human predator against the lionfish in a race to keep its population in check.
In May, hoteliers in Negril, Jamaica sponsored a three-day competition in which teams of fishermen caught a total of 1,446 lionfish.
Last year in Puerto Rico, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsored a five-city tour of the island complete with celebrity chefs as part of its efforts to commercialise the lionfish.
Elsewhere, fishermen who are willing to work hard and risk a painful sting will be rewarded. In the Bahamas, lionfish reportedly sells for about $12 per pound – up to three times other varieties. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, government has a $3,000 prize for the first fisherman who catches 3,000 of the candy-striped predator. (Caribbean 360)
