The Lionfish: Threatening native fish and Florida's fishing industries

Effects on Florida’s Fishing Industry

The diversity of fish in Florida is being significantly altered by the lionfish, putting a strong economic engine at risk. Lionfish feed on snapper, grouper, and other popular Florida fish, which can have a significant impact on the fishing industry. In 2012, Florida led the nation in total angler expenditures,⁶ and the saltwater recreational fishing industry supported more than 109,341 jobs.⁷

Our state is also the nation’s second largest saltwater commercial fishery, ranks 11th in commercial fishing landings (with over 84 million pounds in 2013),⁸ and the industry supports about 64,744 jobs in the state.⁹ One of the top species harvested in Florida is the red grouper (with a 2010-11 dockside value harvest of $15.1 million),¹⁰ which competes with the lionfish for prey, and is often prey itself.

Controlling the Lionfish population

Florida has begun a campaign against the lionfish. The FWC encourages people to remove the lionfish from Florida waters using hand-held nets or spears, with no recreational or commercial bag limit; however, the FWC cautions about the use of spears, as they can damage the reefs if not used carefully.¹¹

In addition, several organizations in the state carry out lionfish derbies (see table below) and lionfish educational events throughout the year. These events have been found to be effective in the deterrence of lionfish in a 2014 study by Green, et al.¹²

The FWC has implemented other programs to control the lionfish, including the development of the “Report Florida Lionfish” mobile app, which helps collect of data and raise awareness about the lionfish. This new data collection tool will complement the lionfish data that is already collected by the USGS.

With the app, users are now able to report fish sightings so that they can be removed from the water. Since its release in late May 2014, more than 200 users have already used the app to report lionfish sightings, according to Amanda Nalley, from the Marine Fisheries Management office at FWC. Additionally, the app was developed by an Orlando-headquartered software company, Solodev.

FWC has also started carrying out several initiatives to control lionfish, including prohibiting imports of lionfish for aquarium trade, and allowing the use of rebreathers for divers to target lionfish (but not any other fish). Aside from the FWC control initiatives, other suggested means of lionfish control include training sharks, which prey on lionfish in the Pacific, to devour the invasive species. All of the aforementioned efforts are carried out with the hope of reducing the population, as eradication is no longer an option given their abundance.

6   Florida TaxWatch. “Florida: The Fishing Capital of the World.”
7   Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The Economic Impact of Saltwater Fishing in Florida.”
8   National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Annual Commercial Landing Stastistics.”
9   Ibid.
10   Ibid.
11   Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lionfish (Pterois volitans, Pterois miles) Frequently Asked Questions.
12   Green, et al. “Linking Removal Targets to the Ecological Effects of Invaders: A Predictive Model and Field Test.” 2014
13   Time Magazine. “Taming the Lionfish: Can Predators be Trained to Control an Invasive Species?”

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