The St. Maarten Nature Foundation has continued to work with local fishermen in battling the Lionfish Invasion. Fisherman Stanley Hosford (and daughter Sabrina) are pictured here with a large lionfish specimen caught using Fish Pots donated by the Nature Foundation. "Fishermen are very important in controlling the invasion; staff members and divers eradicating Lionfish can only do so within safe Scuba Diving Limits while fishermen are able to trap for Lionfish in much deeper waters," read a Nature Foundation statement. Mr. Hosford was donated a fish trap which was confiscated because placed illegally within the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area and was never collected by its owners. "By recycling fishing traps we are able to continue the tradition of fishing in a sustainable manner on St. Maarten while simultaneously working to eradicate the Invasive Lionfish."
Lionfish are an invasive venomous fish that can inflict a painful and sometimes fatal sting. Lionfish are usually found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but were introduced into the Atlantic thru the aquarium trade. Native fish species don't recognize the Lionfish as a threat so they are unable to defend themselves against it. In other places were lionfish were spotted there are hardly any snappers and grouper left because those are the type of fish the lionfish likes to eat.
The Nature Foundation encourages fishermen, divers and all those who may have captured or sighted lionfish to report their catch or sightings to the Nature Foundation through calling 5270490 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
