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LOCAL Friday 5 december 2025

The Lionfish and its threat to our marine wild life

fish can continue to reproduce and
expand to other parts of the Atlantic,
become more invasive and danger-
ous for other types of fish.

For Aruba, the lionfish is a problem
especially for our local coral reefs.
According to Patrick van Brakel, lion-
fish expert and hunter from the Hunt- entire Caribbean area, from Aruba,
ing Lionfish Aruba foundation, every Bonaire and Curacao up to New
reef has a “cleaning station”—tiny York. In Aruba, lionfish were discov-
fish that eat algae and other types ered in 2009.
of waste on a reef, thus maintaining
the reef’s health and providing food Controlling the lionfish population is
to the fish population in the area. challenge, as each female fish can
However, as the lionfish feeds off of lay up to 40,000 eggs a day. Luck-
these tiny fish, it becomes harder for ily, we have people like van Brakel
(Oranjestad)—Despite its colorful the sting of a lionfish can be up to the coral reef to maintain its health. who dedicate their lives hunting and
and striking appearance, the lion- 100 times more painful than that of capturing these invasive species, us-
fish has become a Caribbean-wide a bee’s sting. Patrick also shares the origins of ing them for consumption and jew-
problem for Atlantic sea life. The Aru- lionfish in the Caribbean Sea. It is elry making.
ban marine wild life is also affected Its natural predators in the Indo-Pa- theorized that the introduction of
by this beautiful dilemma, as it is for- cific are sharks and barracudas, but these fish in the Atlantic happened They are caught with a hand spear,
eign to our waters and has become in the Caribbean Sea, local fish do in Florida, where people would buy an object resembling a garbage
a danger to our local fish and reefs. not recognize the lionfish as part of lionfish from across the world to keep picker with 4 sharp prongs. These
their diet. In other words, the lionfish in their aquariums. However, lionfish spears are used like a sling shot to
Originating from the Indo-Pacific has no predators in the Caribbean grow, and as these buyers realized catch lionfish from a distance. These
Ocean, the lionfish is a relatively Sea. And this becomes a major that the fish were too much upkeep, fish are then put into a collecting
small fish. It has no teeth, but it does problem for our local marine life; if they were let out into the ocean to tube and taken out of the water. This
protect itself against predators using there are no predators to stimulate roam free. From continental USA, the way, he does his part in protecting
its sharp, colorful spikes. It is said that population control of lionfish, these lionfish travelled to and invaded the the local wild life.q

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