Roatan Lionfish

Lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean and have become a big problem around Roatan. Lionfish normally live in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is believed that the invasive Roatan Lionfish escaped from aquariums in the USA during hurricanes in 1992. Genetic testing of the invasive lionfish show that all of the Caribbean and Roatan Lionfish come from just 6 individual lionfish. There are now millions of invasive lionfish throughout the Caribbean and Roatan.

Normally in the Indian ocean and Pacific ocean native lionfish lay 20,000 eggs once a year. In the warm Caribbean waters around Roatan, the invasive lionfish are laying 20,000 eggs twice a year! With no natural predators in the Caribbean or around Roatan, It is no wonder the invasive lionfish population has exploded in recent years around Roatan. It is doubtful that the invasive lionfish population will be brought under control.

The Roatan Lionfish Hunt

The hunt is on! The Roatan marine park has started issuing permits to spearfish for lionfish inside the Roatan marine park. Most Roatan dive shops will spear any lionfish they encounter on Roatan's reefs and feed the lion fish to groupers, eels and lobsters. Many Roatan restaurants have even added lionfish to their menus. The invasive lionfish is a delicate white fish that is very tasty. So now the invasive lionfish have a natural predator, Roatan scuba divers,.

It is hoped that someday science may someday find a way to genetically eliminate the invasive Lionfish population of Roatan. The plan is to introduce genetically modified lionfish into the reefs around Roatan. The genetically modified lionfish are sterile so that they can't produce any offspring. Healthy lionfish will breed with the sterile lionfish and help slow the population explosion of the invasive lionfish on Roatan's reefs, but for now we seem to be stuck with them.