Spearing a Lion fish

[PACKRMAN]

Here is the situation.
Our first day in Cozumel I am the 25th diver on the boat with Aquaworld. After the coin flip the DM's put me with a group of 6 people traveling together. Still the odd guy out. During the briefing the DM makes a point of mentioning that we will be buddies. OK I can handle that, here is the one guy that I am sure knows his stuff, right. So halfway thru the second dive he sends up a safety sausage. I thought 'wow, who blew thru their air that fast'. Next thing I know there is a 9th diver with the group and he has a spear. Pretty soon these two guys tuck under a ledge and it dawns on me that something is going to happen. When I look up from flipping the camera to video mode I notice my buddy has somehow tied the line to the surface around his first stage and across his throat. You can see him start to jerk the line and I could see the panic start in his eyes. The video is pretty shaky for the 10 seconds it took to swim forward, loosen the line, free up the strangle hold and verify OK. After that I was in pretty good position to see the boats Captain come out with the Lion fish.

Scuba Diving Videos Cozumel Lion fish Scuba Videos

It never occured to me when I went underwater that it would be the DM that got in trouble or that panic would set in so fast in a professioal diver. It kind of moved that Rescue Class up on the priority list.

[Tassie Diver]

I can't believe that. Why, oh why, would someone spear a lion fish? I must be missing something? They're not regularly eaten, are they?

As for the dive-"master", nah, I'm not saying anything...

[Smashee]

Originally Posted by Tassie Diver

I can't believe that. Why, oh why, would someone spear a lion fish?

May be an invasive species elsewhere, like the possum is in NZ.

EDIT: Invasive Species: Aquatic Species - Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

[petronius]

Originally Posted by Tassie Diver

I can't believe that. Why, oh why, would someone spear a lion fish? I must be missing something? They're not regularly eaten, are they?

As for the dive-"master", nah, I'm not saying anything...

They're invasive, and very destructive to the environment where they don't belong. I was pretty surprised the first time I saw a thread like this - shocked, really, that so many apparently responsible divers approved of wholesale slaughter - but it turns out to be the proper course of action.

Also, I think people do somethimes eat them...

[Tassie Diver]

Okay, now I understand. Odd isn't it, in other parts of the world, they're a big attraction and a photographer's favourite.

Still not sure I like it, but I do understand now.

[PACKRMAN]

They were making a big deal out of it in Mexico. If a diver found a lionfish and showed it to the divemaster it was a free dive. I dont know what the dive-op was getting out of it but they were pretty excited.

[thesmoothdome]

Unfortunately, lionfish are threatening many indiginous species throughout the Caribbean and up the Atlantic coast. They are prolific breeders with no real threat of predation. I find it irresponsible that a DM would abandon his group on a cattle boat to go help the boat captain kill one though. Obviously, you didn't know you were going to lose your buddy and guide to something like this. Throw in the fact that he got himself in trouble doing it, and I'd have real issues diving with this operation again in the future.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Tassie Diver

Okay, now I understand. Odd isn't it, in other parts of the world, they're a big attraction and a photographer's favourite.

Still not sure I like it, but I do understand now.

They're pretty, and fun to photograph. They're wonderful in the areas they're native to. But they're utterly devastating the Caribbean, where they have moved in as an invasive species and have no natural predators (unlike their native environs). Mexico is just starting to see them pop up in places and they're doing their best to weed them out before the destroy as much life there as they have in the Caribbean.

You're from Oz, right? Think of them like the Crown of Thorns. Pretty, but when the numbers get out of control, they can be a devastating problem.

[scubarobin]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

They're pretty, and fun to photograph. They're wonderful in the areas they're native to. But they're utterly devastating the Caribbean, where they have moved in as an invasive species and have no natural predators (unlike their native environs). Mexico is just starting to see them pop up in places and they're doing their best to weed them out before the destroy as much life there as they have in the Caribbean.

You're from Oz, right? Think of them like the Crown of Thorns. Pretty, but when the numbers get out of control, they can be a devastating problem.

I have to agree.... I loved seeing them in Palau, but I don't want to see them eating all the juvenile fish in the Caribbean, which is the way they are headed. If they do, no more fish.... and that would be a big problem.

[TJDiver]

Here's one of many articles on the subject. Spreading Lionfish Invasion Threatens Bahamas : NPR

One very interesting and scary quote from the article:

"Last year, Hixon co-authored a study with Mark Albins that showed a lionfish can kill three-quarters of a reef's fish population in just five weeks."

If that statement is indeed accurate, the lionfish is quite a destructive little creature in non-native waters. Another article I read on this subject, also told of how lionfish prey on the wrasse, gobies, and other species that serve as our reefs' cleaning stations.