Keys, swimmers equipped with snorkels and spears can remove hun- dreds of lionfish per day. In fact, lionfish rodeos, with cash prizes for the most fish harvested, are proving to be a potent mix of conservation, profit and fun in these areas. Yet, in the deeper waters along the Atlantic Coast, the efficacy of spear- fishing is questionable. Using conven- tional SCUBA gear, divers are limited in the amount of time they can spend in lionfish country. At some depths, safe time on the seafloor is less than one
The best way to battle the lionfish fish might be with a fork and knife.
hour a day. Still, a diver with a spear looks to be is the best tool in the toolbox for combating the spread of lionfish. In an effort to encourage divers to wage war on lionfish, former Baham- ian and now South Carolina resident Gregg Waugh has developed a modi- fied pole spear (
www.safespear.com) that allows divers to safely harvest lionfish. He markets his invention
along with other accessories in a lion- fish angling kit. Waugh is actively sup- porting efforts to eliminate lionfish by donating product, co-sponsoring rodeos, and giving a portion of his profits to conservation groups bat- tling the finny invader. Experts are optimistic that we can slow lionfish population growth in some areas while also stopping the spread of the species into the Gulf of Mexico and Central American waters. However, they grudgingly accept the fact that we will never totally eradicate lionfish. If we can keep the lionfish population in check, perhaps our
marine ecosystems will adapt to the invader. In the species’ native range, the population is controlled by preda- tion and other factors. We can only hope that something besides humans will find the lionfish just as tasty.
Capt. Spud Woodward lives in Bruns- wick, Georgia, where he is director of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He’s a contributor to several local, regional, and national publications such as “Georgia Sportsman Magazine” and “Sport Fishing Magazine.”
TIDE
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