Jamaica recently reported that the number of lionfish in their waters is rapidly declining after a nationwide campaign to manage the population of this invasive species.
In 2010, Jamaica's National Environment and Planning Agency started the program to curb the number of lionfish and this year, the agency reported a 66 percent reduction in lionfish sightings, in waters 75 feet deep.
According to Jamaican marine ecologist concentrating on marine invaders living at the Caribbean waters, Dayne Buddo, the decrease in lionfish sightings is due to the growing need for lionfish fillets. Buddo is from the University of West Indies. Fishermen are now interested in catching lionfish due to their high market demand, whereas, years ago, fishermen do not even want to touch the fish in fear that the fish's spines might sting them.
"After learning how to handle them, the fishermen have definitely been going after them harder, especially spear fishermen. I believe persons here have caught on to the whole idea of consuming them," Buddo explained to the Associated Press.
Lionfish is native species of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and they likely penetrated the Caribbean islands through pet trade. Since the local government of Jamaica noticed their growing numbers, divers and fishermen were encouraged to find them and were educated that doing so will protect the reefs and other valuable fish species. The lionfish population reduction is part of a bigger effort to reduce pollution and overfishing in Jamaican waters.
Besides capturing the lionfish, different conservation groups and government agencies are regularly sponsoring fishing tournaments as well as campaigns to encourage the people to find the slow-swimming lionfish. In relation to this, the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration started a campaign in 2010, promoting lionfish as a food source. The campaign has a slogan that says, "Eat sustainable, eat lionfish!"
While Jamaica wants to reduce the number of lionfish in its area, the Atlantic waters showed favorable benefits of having this invasive species.
