Photo by Tim Higgs
The warm summer months are upon us, which means lots of boating, diving and, of course, the annual Abaco Lionfish Derby! Friends of the Environment is calling all fishermen to participate in our annual effort to decrease numbers of this invasive species in our waters.
Striving to eliminating an entire fish population may seem strange for an environmental organization, but in The Bahamas’ case, it is crucial for our natural marine ecosystem. The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, is an alien invasive species in our waters. They are not native and have harmful impacts to the ecosystems that they are introduced to. This is of particular concern to island nations like The Bahamas due to our heavy reliance on native species such as the Nassau grouper and snapper in the fishing and tourism industry. Lionfish not only eat a lot of our native species, but also compete with them for habitat and other resources such as shelter and food. They reproduce abundantly and often, and grow swiftly.
The red lionfish, although appealing to the eye, has venomous spines. Research has shown that these spines make it difficult for our native fish to prey on lionfish without hurting themselves, leaving it up to us to help remove this species from our reef ecosystems. Once caught, lionfish can be properly filleted and enjoyed, resembling a fish such as snapper, with a flaky, white texture.
This will be the 10th Annual Abaco Lionfish Derby. Since it began, derbies have been hosted in Marsh Harbour and Green Turtle Cay and have resulted in over 9,250 lionfish being removed from Abaco waters. These efforts have supported The Bahamas’ National Lionfish Response Plan and helped to further Friends of the Environment’s goals for marine conservation and education in Abaco. Help us out with this goal by registering for the derby. Prizes will be offered for the boat catching the most fish, as well as the largest and smallest fish.
Registration is $125/boat (up to 4 people) and includes:
-Lionfish tasting.
-Dockside rum punch at weigh-in donated by Brendal’s Dive Center and Water Sports.
-Two dinners and four drinks at Green Turtle Club.
Important dates:
Friday, June 29: 5-7 p.m. captains’ meeting
Saturday, June 30: Sunrise-4 p.m. derby (awards and party to follow)
For registration information, waiver forms and rules, visit http://www.friendsoftheenvironment.org/page-1/marine-resources/lionfish/.