The lionfish population is growing like gangbusters in the Atlantic and Caribbean, mostly untouched by the local sharks, moray eels and grouper. Lionfish infestation is causing a severe crisis that could lay waste to the delicate web of undersea life if left unchecked. The solution? Encouraging anglers to go after the fish and market it to restaurants.
Lionfish. It's what's for dinner.
Fighting a losing battle against the invasive, candy-striped aquarium fish that is the Western Hemisphere's worst oceanic menace, conservationists, tour operators and chefs are out to slow their spread the only way they know how: finding and catching them fast, and then turning them into batter-fried, roasted and grilled delectables.
The hope is that by sponsoring fishing tournaments, encouraging anglers to go after the slow-swimming species and marketing it to restaurants and diners, the region may stave off an already severe crisis that could lay waste to the delicate web of undersea life if left unchecked.
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