[Coral-List] Lion Consumption

[Tim Brown - NOAA Affiliate]

Thats really good news!
Maybe those lorge predatory fish will develop a taste for them and start
eating more juveniles.  But the main predator that needs to develop a taste
for lionfish is a human.  Luckily the human creature is lazy and easily
swayed by marketing trends and will often consume the easiest food source
available.  Lionfish has a tasty white flesh but local fish markets are
loath to purchase from local fishermen because the public is not tuned in
to this a popular seafood.
If there was a marketing campaign by a large successful ad firm to tap into
the human psyche and make this fish a desirable food source then I think a
demand can be made for this fish.  This may put pressure on the burgeoning
wild populations of lionfish.
I know several commercial divers in south florida that could and would take
heaps of lionfish daily but the local markets they sell to have no desire
for this fish.

Seems like a simple solution to help reduce wild lionfish populations and
provide another seafood protein source for humans that might also ease
pressure on other target food fish like the native apex predators that may
also eat the lions.

.....all we have to do is convince the general population that this a cool
new trendy food....Anybody know any famous actors or musicians that want to
campaign???  or an ad company with the concept to sway public opinion?
 They're a cool looking exotic fish!  marketed properly, they could
probably command premium prices.


On Sun, Jan 20, 2013 at 4:54 AM, andrew ross <andyroo_of72 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> List,
> I was talking to a friend who's an avid spear-fisherman the other day.
> He tells me that he has found juv. lionfish in the stomach of large mutton
> snapper on at least one occasion on the reefs east of Kingston, Jamaica.
> He says others in his crew have also seen in the gut of grouper. Didn't
> specify species.
> These are not dead&fed lionfish, it appears to be proper, wild consumption
> by large predators on juv. lions.
> A little hint of good news, and all the more reason to keep large fish on
> the reef.
> Andrew Ross
> Seascape Caribbean
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