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LOCAL Monday 24 February 2025

Aruba Tourism Authority honored a loyal visitor at Aruba Beach Club Resort!

The Aruba Tourism Authority re-
cently had the great pleasure of The honoree was:
recognizing a Distinguished Visitor Distinguished Visitor
of Aruba. Thehonoree was respec- Mr. Ray Scott from New York, Unit-
tively honored with a certificate for ed States.
his years of visits, loyalty, and love
for the island of Aruba. Mr. Jorgino Willems representing
the Aruba Tourism Authority, and
The honorary certification is pre- staff members of Aruba Beach
sented on behalf of the Minister Club Resort bestowed the certifi-
of Tourism as a token of apprecia- cate upon the honoree, presented
tion and to say “Masha Danki” to him with gifts, and thanked him
guests who have visited Aruba 10, for choosing Aruba as his favorite
20, or 35 years or more consecu- vacation destination, as his home
tively. away from home.

The threelevels of honor are as fol- The top reasons for returning to
lows: Aruba provided by the honoree
Distinguished Visitor (10>years con- was:
secutively visiting Aruba) • Aruba’s gorgeous sunsets
Goodwill Ambassador (20>years • “Spending time with Scott.
consecutively visiting Aruba) Bruce and Jean” On behalf of the Aruba Tourism Au- to the honoreefor his continued vis-
Emerald Ambassador (35>years • “Island happy hours” thority, we would like to express our its to the “One Happy Island”.q
consecutively visiting Aruba) sincere gratitude and appreciation

The Lionfish

And its threat to our marine wild life

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