# Lionfish Population Control Proposal



## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Please read the proposal below. If you like it, go to www.ecreef.org and click on the banner on the top of the page to sign a letter of support for the proposal.

The Emerald Coast Reef Association has developed a financially sustainable Lionfish Population Control proposal designed to motivate masses of divers to aggressively target lionfish year round. This plan does not require paying fees to enter derbies, lets you keep your meat, and would not force our fishery agencies to ask the legislators to use your taxes to continue to fund grants that partially finance derbies... Any diver could participate. Sound good so far?

Here's the idea:

Divers remove lionfish at their own risk and expense.
They turn in 100 lionfish *heads * to a counting location and are rewarded with 10 native fish tags good in-or-out of season.
Tags would be as follows: 2 Red Snapper, 2 Red Grouper, 2 Gag Grouper, 2 Grey Triggerfish, 2 Greater Amberjack
There would be NO limit on how many lionfish you could exchange for tags.

The proposal is for a 2 year pilot program that will remove 25,000 lionfish, though out a 6 county area in the FL Panhandle at a cost of 500 each of the 5 different native species listed above. 

ECRA along with volunteers have volunteered to run the program for 2 years *at NO cost to taxpayers other than the cost of FWC provided tags*. The number of fish we need as motivators is so small that the Deputy Director of Marine Fisheries Management said it was "biologically insignificant". 

This plan will NOT harm our native fishery, it will help save it! It will not shorten fishing seasons for any sector; it will protect future access by saving millions of our native fish from predation every month the 25,000 lionfish are out of our water! 

Go here to read a brochure that outlines the proposal: http://www.ecreef.org/Documents/4.19.15 Proposal Hand-out Brochure Lionfish Tri Fold Brochure.pdf 

Please sign our letter of support and share the link with all your friends and family members and ask them to sign it too. Share on your Facebook page and help us get this program started in the Panhandle. It CAN be done and with massive public support, it will be done.

Legislators and the FWC Commission have recently been provided with the plan. The low cost and the high removals should have them all excited to give it a try. After the meeting where I presented the plan to the FWC commissioners, I was advised to build a ton of public support. That's why we are asking you to to sign a letter that will be delivered to Governor Scott and the FWC Commissioners.

What will your support of this plan cost you? 30 seconds of your time to sign the letter of support petition, that's it. www.ecreef.org 

Thanks in advance for your support!


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Bunch of crap, What that will do is take that number of fish off the recreational fishermens alocation and cause a shorter season. Plus it wont effect the lionfish population in the long run.


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Scientists doing stomach content surveys have documented that lionfish eat our native fish including snappers, groupers, triggers and lobsters. 

Science has also shown a single mature lionfish can eat 65 of our native fish in a single feeding. How many native fish could 25,000 mature lionfish eat in a single day?
25,000 x 65 =

Is a trade of a total of 500 each of 5 different native species over a 2 year time frame across a 6 county range going to save more fish than it removes? 

The picture below was presented at the 2013 Lionfish Summit by Lad Adkins of REEF(R). This is the stomach contents found in this one lionfish. Notice the fish are not digested. These native fish were consumed shortly before the lionfish was removed from the water. This is just one reason why we need year-round massive removals.


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## servo765 (May 25, 2013)

sounds like a great deal for divers. not sure what good it does for the ecosystem by delaying the natural response


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Here is the natural response after 3 decades of uncontrolled population explosion:


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## gator7_5 (Oct 4, 2007)

Nature WILLL keep lionfish in control before its too late. Divers have ZERO chance. Get used to them, they will be here forever in some numbers.


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

gator7_5 said:


> Nature WILLL keep lionfish in control before its too late. Divers have ZERO chance. Get used to them, they will be here forever in some numbers.


Gator, I hope you're right about nature jumping up to the plate before it's too late, but history and science don't favor that theory. Thirty years of scientific documentation have shown the problem is getting worse every year.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Candy your pictures are showing there expansion over 30 years. Noone is saying they are not expanding. What I have stated was they will in time reach equalibrim. If they are such a destroyer and will ruin everything why havent they done it in the red sea, madagasker and Africa. They been there for millions of years. I have dove all those places and seen lion fish co existing not overrunning the reefs.


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## flappininthebreeze (Jul 13, 2009)

Can't find a link to sign, just the lengthy proposal. Guidance?


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

There is a banner top front and center of the page. In big yellow letters, it says click here to sign a letter of support. Click on that and it should take you to the petition page. Then click on the sign the petition button. It's blue on the top of the page.

Thanks for asking! And, thanks for your support!


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Here is a link directly to the Sign the Support Letter page: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions...-the-search-for-eradication-methods/sign.html

If you want to read an outline of the proposal, go here: http://www.ecreef.org/Documents/4.19.15 Proposal Hand-out Brochure Lionfish Tri Fold Brochure.pdf

Feel free to share these links on your facebook page and with all your spearfishing buddies!


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## Jet fishin (May 5, 2012)

It is not man vs nature.
http://vishpatt.com/man-vs-nature-isnt-man-part-of-nature/
Man is a part of nature.
Supporting this makes good sense.
Pretty simple to surmise.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

So, once again, someone is asking for tags and giving it to a specific section of the recreational community to harvest in their own special time. This sounds familiar. I think the last guys used money to get that working, now it's fish heads?


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Gator, you misunderstand the proposal. NOBODY is given tags. They have to earn them. 

If you are a diver, you know the expense and risks involved in spearfishing. This is a reward for their contribution towards protecting our native fish from predation by the voracious lionfish.

There are those who do enjoy Gifted allocations (Commercial fishermen and now Charter operators), but this proposal does not give anyone an allocation. Like I said, they have to earn their 10 tags and all the expense _and_ risk is on them. The reward is only 10 fish. It's a fair reward given the expense and risk they would shoulder, in order to give our fishery a chance of survival. 

Oh and since nobody felt like doing the math to figure out how many of our native fish 25,000 lionfish could consume in a single feeding... here you go:

25,000 lionfish x 65 native fish in 1 glutonous feeding frenzy = 1.6 MILLION native fish removed from our future fishery by lionfish. 

This plan would cost our fishery 500 each of 5 different native fish species and it would remove 25,000 lionfish that can consume up to 1.6 million of our native fish in a single feeding. That is a VERY Good return on investment!


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## naclh2oDave (Apr 8, 2008)

Lion fish are our Manna from heaven..... when there is nothing left to eat, nothing left for the government to take from us there will be Lion Fish.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

naclh2oDave said:


> Lion fish are our Manna from heaven..... when there is nothing left to eat, nothing left for the government to take from us there will be Lion Fish.


And then the politicians will still be happy and have a job they can regulate Lion fish. :whistling::whistling::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Bluediemond (Apr 28, 2009)

Signed. I was #49....sigh


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks for your support Bluediemond! Please share the link with your family and friends.

Don't worry, there will be MANY more people signing soon. We haven't launched our campaign yet. Right now is just the trickle. Soon, signatures will be flowing.

Share! Post the link on your facebook and Twitter and you will share in the success of this movement. Everyone is welcome to support this plan, not just divers reading the PFF.


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Bluediemond said:


> Signed. I was #49....sigh


We're over 200 signatures now Bluediemond and soon, that number will soar. Support is GROWING!

For all you spearfishers that would like to be rewarded for your efforts, go here and sign our letter of support/petition for ECRA's Lionfish Population Control Pilot Program Proposal.

100 lionfish HEADS earns you 10 tags: as follows - 2 Red Snapper, 2 Red Grouper, 2 Gag Grouper, 2 Grey Triggerfish, 2 Greater Amberjack 

To read more about this proposal, go here: http://www.ecreef.org/Documents/4.19.15 Proposal Hand-out Brochure Lionfish Tri Fold Brochure.pdf 

Takes just 30 seconds of your time and could wind up saving our fishery! 

If you don't want people to see your name for some reason, (maybe your job) you can check a box to make it anonymous. :thumbup:

Click here to sign the petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions...l-and-the-search-for-eradication-methods.html Then, there is a Blue button on the left that says "Sign the Petition" Click on that and digitally sign. 

Thanks for your support!


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## RockB (Oct 11, 2007)

If I could sell my tags I may have to start diving again.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Is there going to be a public comment period?


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

The commission has been given a copy of the proposal. To get it on the agenda, I was told I'd have to get massive public support. That's why I'm collecting signatures. That's why I'm asking you all to share on your Facebook pages asking all your friends to sign as well. Costs nothing but 30 seconds of your time. 

Once it is on the agenda, there will be the opportunity for public comment. They will then listen to everyone and vote at the following meeting. Or, it could be passed as an executive order and go into effect immediately.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, I believe the EO is the best way.

I'm meeting with multiple legislators who have shown interest in this financially sustainable plan very soon. If you like the proposal, Please sign and share!


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Signed it:

*Congratulations. You have successfully signed the petition:

Support Lionfish Population Control and the Search for Eradication Methods

You are signer #229 *

This feature is why:
*
If you don't want people to see your name for some reason, (maybe your job) you can check a box to make it anonymous.
*


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Then I got this email Confirmation:

Dear Tom,

Your Signature Receipt from GoPetition

Thank you for signing the petition entitled Support Lionfish Population Control and the Search for Eradication Methods. This email acts as your signature receipt.

According to GoPetition’s terms, we have sent you this one-off email (signature receipt) for your records to confirm that you have signed the petition.

No further action is required by you.

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## Cajun Spearit (Jun 3, 2011)

Candy said:


> Here is the natural response after 3 decades of uncontrolled population explosion:


This is a heated discussion, but I believe divers may be able to stem the tide. I dove Cozumel a few weekends ago and I asked the dive master about the lionfish population. He stated very matter of factly, "divers killed them all". Hmmm...I didn't see a single lionfish.

Personally, I think they are here to stay, but divers are the best bet in stemming the tide.


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## PlaneToSea (Jul 27, 2012)

Hi,

I had this same idea a while back and I emailed FWC with my suggestion and they were not interested. Below is the response I received:

Thank you for contacting the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission with your idea about controlling lionfish. Please be assured that the Commission shares your concern over the invasive lionfish expanding into Florida waters. We work closely with many fishing organizations, representing commercial, recreational, and environmental interests in order to get the word out about the lionfish issue and to try to find solutions to the potential problems they may cause. However, we do not believe that carving out a quota of reef fishes to trade for the harvest of lionfish would be supported by fishermen because this would pit fishermen against other fishermen.

We are working on other types of incentives to get lionfish out of the water, such as our Reef Rangers program. The Reef Rangers program is in place to encourage targeted lionfish removals on Florida’s reefs. Reef Rangers pledge to remove lionfish from local reefs of their choice and do their part in the statewide control of the invasive lionfish population! Sustained local removal efforts have been shown to keep lionfish populations down. With this localized control applied to Florida’s reefs statewide, the Reef Rangers strive to protect our native ecosystems from the invasion. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on marine ecosystems by allowing native fish and invertebrate populations to recover. Anyone willing and able to actively remove lionfish from Florida waters can become a Reef Ranger at www.reefrangers.com. 

Again thank you for your innovative idea and please keep them coming. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

This idea is gaining traction. If you like the proposal, go to www.ecreef.org and sign our letter of support/petition. Legislators like the fact that this is an aggressive plan that is financially sustainable. We need massive public support. Costs only 30 seconds of your time.

Once you sign, please share with all your friends and family and ask them to sign it too!


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

For all you divers who think the ECRA proposal will never catch on, go to the FWC site here http://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/2015/june/23/agenda and scroll down to item 21-b. This is a trial on a very small scale. If you like our proposal, please go sign the letter of support! 

Everyone who signs the letter will have ownership of the success when this finally gets passed. But...to get there, we need everyone's signature! Timing is important, please don't wait to jump on board!


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## Candy (Jan 6, 2008)

Hi PFF Members,
Just wanted you all to know that I am still working this proposal. As you all know, I provided the Commissioners letters of support at the last FWC meeting. Now that they all have the letters, they are public record.

If you would like to read the letters of support from legislators, Dr. Shipp, dive shops, the Marine Industries assoc. etc... go here: http://www.ecreef.org/Lionfish_Pages/Lionfish_Contol.htm 

I will be having a conference call with FWC staff soon and will let everyone know how that conversation goes. I have mitigated EVERY objection they have thrown at me for the past 2+ years so hopefully, they are ready to support this proposal.

If you would like to help me get this passed, please contact me at [email protected] for more information.


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## Dive1 (May 16, 2015)

I'm for killing the lionfish. Eating them too.


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