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LOCAL Saturday 30 November 2024

The Lionfish

And its threat to our marine wild life

major problem for our lo-
cal marine life; if there are
no predators to stimulate
population control of lion-
fish, these fish can continue
to reproduce and expand
to other parts of the Atlan-
tic, become more invasive
and dangerous for other
types of fish.

For Aruba, the lionfish is a
problem especially for our tic happened in Florida, lives hunting and capturing
local coral reefs. According where people would buy li- these invasive species, us-
to Patrick van Brakel, lion- onfish from across the world ing them for consumption
fish expert and hunter from to keep in their aquariums. and jewelry making.
the Hunting Lionfish Aruba However, lionfish grow, and
foundation, every reef has as these buyers realized They are caught with a
a “cleaning station”—tiny that the fish were too much hand spear, an object re-
(Oranjestad)—Despite its protect itself against pred- fish that eat algae and oth- upkeep, they were let out sembling a garbage picker
colorful and striking ap- ators using its sharp, color- er types of waste on a reef, into the ocean to roam with 4 sharp prongs. These
pearance, the lionfish has ful spikes. It is said that the thus maintaining the reef’s free. From continental USA, spears are used like a sling
become a Caribbean- sting of a lionfish can be up health and providing food the lionfish travelled to and shot to catch lionfish from
wide problem for Atlantic to 100 times more painful to the fish population in the invaded the entire Carib- a distance. These fish are
sea life. The Aruban marine than that of a bee’s sting. area. However, as the lion- bean area, from Aruba, Bo- then put into a collecting
wild life is also affected by fish feeds off of these tiny naire and Curacao up to tube and taken out of the
this beautiful dilemma, as it Its natural predators in the fish, it becomes harder for New York. In Aruba, lionfish water. Van Brakel not only
is foreign to our waters and Indo-Pacific are sharks and the coral reef to maintain were discovered in 2009. catches them himself, but
has become a danger to barracudas, but in the Ca- its health. also cooks them for locals
our local fish and reefs. ribbean Sea, local fish do Controlling the lionfish and tourists at The LionFish
not recognize the lionfish Patrick also shares the ori- population is challenge, as Snack Aruba in Paradera.
Originating from the Indo- as part of their diet. In other gins of lionfish in the Ca- each female fish can lay up This way, he does his part
Pacific Ocean, the lionfish words, the lionfish has no ribbean Sea. It is theorized to 40,000 eggs a day. Lucki- in protecting the local wild
is a relatively small fish. It predators in the Caribbean that the introduction of ly, we have people like van life.q
has no teeth, but it does Sea. And this becomes a these fish in the Atlan- Brakel who dedicate their

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