They’re not supposed to be here. They’re not supposed to be eating anything and everything that’s smaller than them. They’re not supposed to reproduce by the thousands and wreak havoc on the ecosystem.
And yet, here they are – lionfish.
A creature native to Asian waters – a creature that, presumably, has some natural predator preying on it or its spawn – a creature that, beautiful as it is, should not be freely swimming the Atlantic waters around Florida and up the east coast.
For recreational divers Bob and Maria Hickerson, trying to harvest lionfish one at a time has proven a challenge. The fish’s depth ranges from a meager 2 feet to a staggering 1,500 feet, making it quite difficult to know exactly where to search for them.
At least, that was a challenge until the Hickersons – who are also known as Team Frapper – discovered that lionfish are quite at home among structures. Pylons, reefs, anything that gives them shelter and helps them hide.
“We’re behind the curve,” Bob Hickerson told a standing-room only crowd during the Manatee Observation and Education Center’s monthly Lunch and Learn. “Way behind the curve.”
Since before the mid-1980s, lionfish have been entering the waters of Florida and the Caribbean. Scientists believe the fish were released by those who had house lionfish in their home aquariums.
The first documented lionfish catch was off Dania Beach, Fla., in 1985.
In 2009, the Hickersons were diving in the Caribbean when they speared a lionfish – their first. It was then that they realized something needed to be done to get rid of this pesky, destructive, invasive fish.
“I’m kind of a waterbug,” Bob Hickerson said after the talk, adding that he loves to see the waters healthy. Lionfish, however, disrupt the health of the water. “It’s kind of a cause for us.”
Since 2009, the Hickersons have worked with marine scientists at Harbor Branch and F.I.T. to study lionfish behavior.
The research led to the discovery that lionfish love structures, which got Hickerson to thinking: Could a trap be developed to catch only lionfish?
A diver has a limited amount of time underwater to harvest lionfish. Traps, on the other hand, can stay underwater for as long as needed. But where a diver can control what is harvested, a trap tends to accept anything that comes its way.
“That’s tricky,” Hickerson said of designing a trap that would have zero by-catch.
In the marine lab set up at his Vero Beach home, Hickerson has developed a trap that is now in the final stages of testing – and it shows promise.
The trap has an entrance – a gate – that allows the lionfish to approach. An onboard camera analyzes the fish to determine that it is, in fact, a lionfish, and then opens a secondary gate into the trap.
Lionfish in the lab have indeed approached the trap and have gone in – without the camera standing guard. The camera and its associated artificial intelligence have not yet been installed. However, they have been tested on a computer, being fed images of lionfish, and then tested with other species thrown in. A 3-D test using stuffed animals, too, has shown promise that the programming will work.
But there is one other roadblock, according to Hickerson. It’s illegal to trap fish in U.S. waters without the proper permits.
“It’s an issue we’ll have to overcome,” he said, explaining that he’ll probably take the traps to the Caribbean for the initial testing.
If all goes well with the trap, and assuming the government gives Team Frapper the green light to implement it, Hickerson hopes to be able to retrofit lobster traps with the gates and camera/artificial intelligence so lobster trappers can catch lionfish during the off season.
Thinking bigger, Hickerson said he could see their technology being tweaked to target other invasive species, too.
And while Team Frapper continues pursuing a lionfish trap, Hickerson encourages the general public to find a way to help.
He suggests they give lionfish a try the next time they see it on the menu at a restaurant or when it’s on ice in the seafood department at the grocery store. They have a white, flaky and sweet-tasting meat, according to Hickerson, somewhere between a flounder and hogfish.
Don’t see it on the menu or at the grocery? Request it, Hickerson recommends. The more people show interest in lionfish, the sooner the fishing industry will respond.
“It’s all good,” Hickerson said, explaining that there is no need to feel guilt eating lionfish.
And there’s no need to worry about poisoning from eating lionfish. Lionfish do have venomous spines, but they don’t affect the fish’s flesh. Nor do they hurt you unless they prick the skin. “They’re tricky to handle but easy to clean,” Hickerson said. But there is no antidote for the venom, which causes throbbing pain for hours or days, depending on how bad the injury is. “It is extremely painful.”
Running non-scalding but hot liquid over the affected site helps to denaturize the venom, he said.
For those who aren’t keen on eating fish, Hickerson suggests considering a donation to Team Frapper to continue research and development for the trap and participate in the various lionfish events coming up this spring.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host its annual Lionfish Derby May 19-20 in Pensacola. On the Treasure Coast, there’s the Sebastian Lionfish Fest in Indian River County May 19-20 that includes a lionfish fishing tournament and a cook-off and Capt. Don’s Lionfish Safari in Fort Pierce June 9-11.
For more information about the Hickerson’s pursuit of the lionfish trap and what is being done to combat the invasive species, visit www.TheFrapper.com or log into Facebook and go to facebook.com/thefrapper.