# New Lionfish law



## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

http://www.al.com/news/beaches/index.ssf/2014/06/florida_bans_importing_live_li.html

I could not think of a better example of 2 little 2 late. At this point you could intenionally release every lionfish in captivity in the state and only make an Infinitesimal increase in the already established population. Not sure what they think they will acomplish when both coast of Florida are already overrun by these things.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Well another way to look at it if you cant import them it will be another way for Local Divers to make money catching Baby lion fish for the aquarium trade. I have seen a couple small ones while Diving here in Pensacola. Go get them. Just go get a SPL license and it would be legal to sell them and would cut down on the population as if it will do any good in the long run. I use to make a few bucks selling beau gregories and seargent majors back in the 60s. Lots of fun.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

I did not consider that angle. I saw import ban and assumed that ment you could not sell them live. But that would be a clever way to create a market for them if that is what they are thinking. They should apply that to the US and say only Lionfish caught in US waters can be sold in the aquarium trade. Its got to be cheaper that shipping from the pacific anyway.


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## snake 166 (Oct 2, 2007)

Not a good idea. Impact would be insignificant and would create a market for live not dead lionfish.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

snake 166 said:


> Not a good idea. Impact would be insignificant and would create a market for live not dead lionfish.


Stupid statement, The only thing it would do is put a few dollars in someones pocket for doing something constructive. Nothing will impact lionfish they are here forever. And in time will reach equilibriem with nature. Over kill them and they will overproduce. It's called evolution.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

snake 166 said:


> Not a good idea. Impact would be insignificant and would create a market for live not dead lionfish.


Read up on yellow tangs in Hawaii to see what the aquarium trade can do to fish populations. There are plenty of examples besides that one as well. Why does it matter if the market is for live or dead fish? Either way they are coming off the reef.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

Yea, catchem for the aquarium trade.
Then wait for them to get dumped back into the local waters when they get too big or bored with them being the only fish in their tank.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

The state of Florida is still not serious about eradicating them.

If they were, there would be no regulations, permitting or restrictions of any sort.
Open season by any means at anytime.
Period.
But no, the state always has to get their pound of flesh.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

There is no regulations on taking them. Most likely never will. Only reg is on importing them.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

Yes there are:
http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/
oops, I mean there will be Aug. 1st

_____________________________________________________________
Increasing opportunities that will allow participants in approved tournaments and other organized events to spear lionfish or other invasive species in areas where spearfishing is not allowed. This will be done through a permitting system.​ Learn more.​ *Licensing Requirements*

A recreational fishing license is not required for recreational fishers targeting lionfish while using a pole spear, a Hawaiian Sling, a handheld net or any spearing device that is specifically designed and marketed exclusively for lionfish.








A recreational fishing license (unless exempt) is required for all other methods of harvesting lionfish including hook and line.
The sale of commercially harvested lionfish requires a saltwater products license.
A permit is required to harvest lionfish in the no-take zones of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Permits are issued by the Sanctuary following training given by the Sanctuary and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).
*Gear Requirements*

Legal Gear: hook and line, spear, hand-held nets and any otherwise legal harvest gear
Spears may not be used:


Within 100 yards of a public swimming beach, any commercial or public fishing pier, or any part of a bridge from which public fishing is allowed. 
Within 100 feet of any part of a jetty that is above the surface of the sea - except for the last 500 yards of a jetty that extends more than 1,500 yards from the shoreline. 
In Monroe County from Long Key north to the Miami-Dade County line. 
In any body of water under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks (Florida Park Service). Possession of spearfishing equipment is prohibited in these areas, unless it is unloaded and properly stored. 
Other spearfishing rules may apply under Special Acts of Local Application.








 Harvest by hand-held nets is allowed in all of these situations.
______________________________________________________________


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

What you just posted didn't list a thing about NOT TAKING them. In fact it looked like to me it incoureged the taking of them.


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

I think it is a good idea. If you can put a price tag on any animal, sooner or later humans will decimate the population out of greed. Might as well put this to our advantage. I believe the same thing needs to be done to get rid of the pythons in south florida. Put a bounty on them and watch everyone flock to the glades to try and kill some snakes.


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## foxtrotuniform (Nov 11, 2013)

sealark said:


> Nothing will impact lionfish they are here forever. And in time will reach equilibriem with nature.


Sad, but, unfortunately, this is a true statement in my opinion. 

I'd still like to see a bounty on the little though.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

feelin' wright said:


> I think it is a good idea. If you can put a price tag on any animal, sooner or later humans will decimate the population out of greed. Might as well put this to our advantage. I believe the same thing needs to be done to get rid of the pythons in south florida. Put a bounty on them and watch everyone flock to the glades to try and kill some snakes.


The oceans are a lot different than land. The Snakes could easily be completely decimated buy a bounty. But the Oceans and Gulf is a different story. The Lionfish would be slowed down in shallow water but not touched in deep water. Plus sealife reproduction is different also. Some fish Groupers for instance actually change sex in accordance with their population. Kill a lot of them and a male will change to a female to reproduce more. So just get use to seeing them and enjoy killing, eating them or looking at them in an aquarium. They are part of the ecosystem. They would most likely have gotten here in time anyway.:thumbup::thumbup:


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

johnsonbeachbum said:


> The state of Florida is still not serious about eradicating them.
> 
> If they were, there would be no regulations, permitting or restrictions of any sort.
> Open season by any means at anytime.
> ...


What pound of flesh, the only permit I see is the one needed to spear fish for them in an area closed to spearfishing? What am I missing, no fishing license needed, no size or bag limit, basically any method is allowed. I guess not being able to hook and line fish for them without a license is something, but come on, you're going to hook 50 to 1 other species fishing for them if you're lucky. It sounds , to me, like the state has gone out of their way to help.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

okay, I can see that many of you do not see my point.
So here is and extreme example along the same line of thought.

Everyone would like to see cockroaches eliminated.
But if you want to harvest any and or sell them, you will need a permit to catch them.
And a permit to sell them commercially.
And if you have an organized event (contest) your event has to have a permit too before the participants can catch cockroaches.
And you can only use flyswatters and sticky pads.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

johnsonbeachbum said:


> Yea, catchem for the aquarium trade.
> Then wait for them to get dumped back into the local waters when they get too big or bored with them being the only fish in their tank.


So if a few get cought and sold to the aquarium trade, then dumped back in the water where they came from originally big deal. That would be a small%. Also there are plenty of fish you can keep with Lionfish in a saltwater tank, very common in saltwater fish keeping. The vast majority will either die in captivity or get sold again to other tank owners. A large % of people who keep fish proabbly don't live in short driving distance to the coast and would not bother to take then there in any scenario. Point is all this can do is take away from the wild populatoin and not add to it, so there is no downside in terms of the wild lionfish population. Even if 100% of the fish were released again since thats where they all came from in the first place.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

johnsonbeachbum said:


> okay, I can see that many of you do not see my point.
> So here is and extreme example along the same line of thought.
> 
> Everyone would like to see cockroaches eliminated.
> ...


Here is another extreme example. Why not just let people use dynamite to harvest lionfish? Becaue they are part of a complex ecosystem that has to be protected. They have to make sure that the methods people are using to kill lionfish are not putting other protected species in danger. If they let you fish for them without a license it would be really easy for everyone fishing to say they are just after lionfish in order to not buy a license.


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

johnsonbeachbum said:


> Yes there are:
> http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/
> oops, I mean there will be Aug. 1st
> 
> ...


 this says no size or limit so where's the restriction.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

flounderslayerman said:


> this says no size or limit so where's the restriction.


 Permits, licenses and equipment allowed are restrictions.


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