Topic: lionfish
Lionfish numbers declining: The hunter is now the hunted
Invasive lionfish, a known threat to marine life, may be the target of local predators – a hopeful sign for controlling the population.
Illegal feeding of sharks puts divers at risk of attack, DoE warns
Sharks have learned to associate divers with food
CULL lionfish tournament next month
Lionfish cullers will be back underwater to hunt the invasive species in a tournament on Saturday and Sunday, 9 and 10 Nov.
From sting to bling: Venomous lionfish gets turned into jewellery
After a lionfish stung Casey Keller earlier this month, leaving her in intense pain and with a badly swollen hand, she got the ultimate revenge when her spiny venomous attacker was turned into jewellery, which she now wears around her neck.
Cayman’s invasive species under spotlight
Cayman's ongoing battles against invasive species, such as green iguanas, lionfish and feral cats, have been highlighted in the annual Virtual Island Summit, which addresses issues faced by island nations across the world.
Eat ’em to beat ’em: Cullers tuck into lionfish
Cullers dove beneath the waves over the weekend to hunt lionfish on the local reefs and then headed to a restaurant to get a taste of their catch.
Lionfish tournament planned for this weekend
Cayman United Lionfish League, known as CULL, will hold its 35th tournament this weekend, 1 and 2 Oct.
Lessons from Atlantic lionfish invasion shared with Mediterranean
Scientists who have studied efforts to combat the lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic, including in Cayman, are sharing their findings with people batting an influx of the fish to the Mediterranean.
Invasive lionfish face new foe with targeted traps
A lionfish trap, designed by NOAA scientist Steve Gittings, is being tested by lobster fishermen in Florida, to determine if it can be used commercially to bolster their incomes and to rid reefs of the invasive species.
Should you eat local Cayman fish?
Eating local seafood is often considered a noble choice and the preferred option of many visitors. But in Cayman’s case, DoE chief conservation officer Mark Orr says environmentally-conscious consumers are better off asking restaurants for seafood that was caught overseas.
Natural Marine World Tidbits
Lionfish, Pterois volitans, although native to other side of the world, are very popular in North American aquariums.
Twenty-five or so years ago, someone released...
Lionfish cull tournament this weekend
There may be COVID and hurricane season to deal with, but that doesn't stop invasive lionfish from breeding, so the Cayman United Lionfish League...
Cullers seek to gain back ground on lionfish population
The recovery of nature in the absence of humans during lockdown has been one of the silver linings to the coronavirus crisis. Lionfish are the exception to that phenomenon.
COVID gives invasive species respite from cullers
As many as 16,000 invasive green iguanas are thought to have been spared from the hooks, snares and pellets of cullers due to an unanticipated six-week suspension of the programme, brought on by COVID-19 shelter-in-place regulations, according to the Department of Environment.
Cullers remove 464 lionfish from reefs
Four teams took part in the latest lionfish culling tournament and caught more than 460 of the invasive species.
Lionfish culler healing after being bitten by nurse shark
Diver Paul Egleston is healing and in good spirits after being bitten by a nurse shark on Saturday.
Cullers put a dent in lionfish invasion
More than 500 lionfish were removed from reefs around Grand Cayman in the latest Cayman United Lionfish League tournament to target the invasive predators.
Young Cayman inventor joins fight against invasive lionfish
Artificial intelligence could be the latest weapon in the fight against invasive lionfish on Cayman’s reefs.
Chefs seek to put iguana on menu
Cayman Islands chefs are hoping to turn green iguana into a marketable food source in an effort to make better use of the thousands of culled animals currently being disposed of at the landfill.
The Lion Fish
Today's editorial cartoon.
Divers cull 224 lionfish in 2-day tournament
Lionfish cullers donned fins and masks and grabbed their spears over the weekend for the latest lionfish tournament. The cullers removed a total of 224 lionfish from Cayman waters over the two-day challenge.
The Great Lionfish Caper culling tournament
Lionfish have become the scourge of reefs around the Caribbean, devouring juvenile fish and procreating at an alarming rate.
Letter: Eat more lionfish
Let’s all do our part to help the sea we all love.
Letters – Giving a voice to the people
The free exchange of ideas is a necessary component of any healthy democracy. That is why the Compass reserves space in each issue for readers and leaders to share their perspectives as letters to the editor.
Lionfish study expands amid positive results
Lionfish are being hunted by native predators on Cayman’s reefs at much greater rates than previously imagined – an encouraging sign that nature may provide a solution to the problem of invasive species.
Plans to export invasive lionfish & iguana face stumbling block
A Cayman Islands business has been licensed to export lionfish and iguana meat for sale in the U.S. But the company, Spinion, says its efforts to provide an economic solution to the two invasive species threatening Cayman’s environment are being hampered by an opaque and seemingly endless local regulatory process.
Cull competitors bring in 591 lionfish
Culling lionfish is sometimes compared to pulling weeds. As soon as you clear one patch, new specimens spring up elsewhere. “We don’t ever expect to eradicate them completely,” said Mark Orr.
Lionfish culling tournament this weekend
A two-day lionfish culling tournament that was postponed earlier this month because of Hurricane Irma gets under way Saturday.
Lionfish culled
Today's editorial cartoon
Bounty hunter: Lionfish culler claims 10,000th kill
The invasive and voracious lionfish eating their way through Cayman’s reefs may finally have met their match. Last weekend, East End dive instructor Nigel Coles killed his 10,000th lionfish since the species was first spotted in Cayman Islands waters.
Researchers dodge sharks to tag lionfish
Researchers at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute have surgically tagged 21 lionfish in a unique project to track the movements of the invasive predators on Little Cayman’s reefs.
Lionfish culling tournament nets 503 fish
The sustained effort to eradicate lionfish from Cayman reefs continued over the weekend, when the Cayman United Lionfish League held its 22nd culling tournament of the invasive species.
EDITORIAL – Lionfish imports: Who’s eating whose lunch?
The following is a serious situation that raises fundamental questions about the free market, regulations and the natural environment, but it’s still difficult to describe without a sprinkling of irony.
Cullers call for lionfish import ban
Some lionfish cullers are calling for a ban on the import of the invasive fish to force restaurants in the Cayman Islands to buy local.
Lionfish culling tournament this weekend
Lionfish cullers will take to the reefs of Grand Cayman this weekend to take part in an islandwide tournament. Foster’s Food Fair has donated $20,000 to the Cayman United Lionfish League to help combat the invasive fish species.
Business targets green iguanas for export
A Cayman Islands business is processing iguanas for sale to local restaurants and seeking an export license to sell the food as a delicacy to clients in the United States.
Youth Cook-Off this weekend
The North Side District Youth Cook-Off will be taking place this Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Clifton Hunter High School show kitchen. Teams are required to prepare an appetizer of chili, an entree of lionfish, and a drink within a set time.
Marine app launched at fisheries conference
Fisheries experts, marine scientists and policymakers from across the Caribbean and the Americas gathered in Cayman this week to share ideas and discuss new policies to fight threats to the marine environment.
Lionfish-killing robot in development
John Rizzi’s company is building a prototype robot designed to electrocute lionfish – and then collect the corpses for consumption or research. Tests are scheduled to start next month. Mr. Rizzi is executive director of RISE, which is taking a new approach to combatting exploding lionfish populations throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean seas.
Tukka serves up a whopper of a catch
An East End restaurant has recently reached an impressive milestone as a lionfish dining destination. Efforts to tackle the invasive lionfish problem headed up by owner and head chef Ron Hargrave of Tukka restaurant have made the establishment a top choice for diners interested in trying the delicious fish.
Sea Camp on Little Cayman brings out the fun in science
Fun, sun, sand and science all came together for a memorable experience for young people who attended the Edmund and Virginia Ball Foundation Caribbean Marine Ecology Camp.
CCMI seeks grant to continue lionfish studies
Little Cayman’s marine research center has suspended its lionfish tagging program while it waits to see if it will get grant money to continue its groundbreaking research on the invasive species.
Cull-inary weekends coming
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute’s new “Cull-inary” weekends are providing a fresh take on controlling the invasive lionfish population in Little Cayman’s waters.
Bumper lionfish cull during Earth Month
A group of determined divers recently did their part for Earth Month in the waters off the West Bay coast, offering up their skills in the fight against the invasive lionfish.
Talk sheds light on mangroves
A hands-on presentation on the local mangrove population was one of the latest events taking place on Cayman Brac marking Earth Month.
Events will celebrate the Earth all month
Earth Day is April 22 but Earth Month starts April 1, and there are plenty of opportunities this month to celebrate Mother Nature in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Smallest-ever lionfish caught in tournament
Lionfish cullers braved windy conditions over the weekend to pull in a near-record haul, including the smallest lionfish ever caught in Cayman’s waters.
Vivo menu not just for vegans
A recently opened West Bay restaurant is attracting diners from around the island, even though it primarily serves only vegetarian and vegan food.
