Earth Day: Saving our Reefs from invasive Lionfish

Lionfish University recently was invited by private donors from the Mill Reef Club on Antigua to make an exploratory trip to assess the state of the marine ecosystem of the island, due to concern about declining health of their reefs. A team of five Lionfish University volunteers headed by Dr. Steve Gittings, chief scientist of the NOAA Marine Sanctuary System, completed a survey of the reefs focused on damage due to the lionfish invasion. A general stakeholders’ meeting was held to gauge the level of knowledge and possible participation on the part of fishermen, artisans, chefs, restaurants, the Fisheries Department and others. Dr. Gittings will be preparing a report of the findings and suggested control methods. If a return visit is requested the Lionfish University group may possibly teach islanders to put on a derby/festival as well as workshops in trap building, jewelry making and culling techniques, among others. The team was interviewed by a local TV station, radio station and newspaper, and did a presentation to a local community group to raise awareness about the lionfish invasion, and steps that can be taken to help restore reef health. Every individual’s effort makes a difference!

At the Anse Chastanet Resort, they  have a Lionfish aquarium on property and educate divers and non-divers alike and every Tuesday there is a presentation featuring the lionfish aquarium.

They partner with the St. Lucia dive association (ANBAGLO) to participate in lionfish derbies. Scuba St. Lucia won the last derby. 1^st place for the most lionfish caught (230LBS in 4 hours), 1^st place for the largest lionfish caught and 2^nd place for the smallest lionfish caught. After the derbies we put on a cooking and educational seminar in the local town of Soufriere, St. Lucia, the locals LOVE to eat the meat.

At the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts, lionfish is on the menu and there is a Gourmet Lionfish Dinner offered every Friday night. “Eat Them To Beat Them” is our Executive Chef’s Degustation menu with paired new world wines showcasing the quality and taste of this very unique fish. Whether served as sashimi, ceviche, simply grilled or stewed creole style, lionfish is always delicious.

For Earth Day 2019, Scuba St. Lucia will host a dive against debris and a lionfish culling day to help promote conservation of our delicate reef eco-system. Scuba St. Lucia Team members actively cull lionfish when not busy accommodating our guests. We remove at least a few hundred pounds monthly. As well we monitor for increasing or decreasing numbers of lionfish.

Save the Planet, Eat Lionfish and use the “Cook Lionfish” Cook book

Why Cook Lion fish?
Lion fish are native to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Unfortunately, they have found their way into the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Experts believe that the cause of the lion fish invasion is the dumping of unwanted lion fish from aquariums into the Atlantic for over 2 decades. Lion fish have no natural predators in these waters and are ferocious predators themselves, like vacuum cleaners that suck the life out of the ocean. The invasive lion fish are a very real threat to our coral reefs and ecosystems.
They breed rapidly, releasing 15-20,000 eggs every 4 days and even the larvae have few predators! They eat juvenile fish and cleaners such as shrimp, that keep reef fish free from parasites. They are feeding on our key species such as juvenile parrot fish, algae and coral fight for photosynthesis. The parrot fish help keep the coral alive by feeding on the bad algae. If the algae smother the reef, the coral will die and there is no chance of recovery. It is estimated that marine plants produce between 70-80% of the oxygen that we need in order to survive. Without coral reefs, life as we know it cannot exist. The “eat em to beat em” campaign was launched by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2010 to encourage a seafood market as a means of mitigating the species’ impact on reef communities.

In 2003, Polly Alford founded a conservation diving organization in Belize. She encountered her first lion fish in 2009 and was subsequently shocked by the rapid invasion. Her organization introduced a project to remove them, collect data and create local and national awareness.
In 2016 Polly decided to enroll her twin sister, Claire (a chef in the UK) in a project to combine their skills and write a lion fish cookbook. The objective was to write easy to follow recipes using lion fish, to create tasty dishes for home cooking.
The recipes in this book demonstrate the versatility of this fish and the good news is that lion fish is not only delicious but also high in omega 3. We wrote this book to encourage you to cook one of the most sustainable foods available whilst helping to reduce this potentially catastrophic environmental problem. Buy the book on Amazon: “Cook Lionfish” Cook book