Lionfish Culling: the Solution to Managing Lionfish Populations in the Dutch Caribbean?

One of the most talked about fish in the Caribbean Region is an exotic looking fish with eye-catching stripes and remarkable feathery pectoral fins: the lionfish (Pterois sp.). This fish, however, has not been a topic of discussion for its appearance but for how quickly it has invaded Caribbean waters and for the fear it has instilled in many: fear of its venomous spines, fear of its negative impacts on reef communities and fear that its population cannot be controlled. Containing the population of lionfish has become a fundamental objective for marine protected areas in the Caribbean, including within our Dutch Caribbean Islands. 

This news article was published in BioNews 25.

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.