Efforts are continuing to be made locally to reduce the lionfish population in the waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Lionfish, a species of fish native to the Pacific Ocean, invaded Caribbean waters in recent years and directly threaten the health of our reefs.

The first presence of lionfish in the waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was spotted in 2011.

Chris Isaacs, Senior Fisheries Officer in the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour said they are continuing efforts to combat the Lionfish which continues to pose a threat to our marine ecosystems.

Mr. Isaacs told WEFM News it is believed the lionfish was first introduced into marine waters off Florida during Hurricane Andrew in the early 1990s from a collapsed Oceanside aquarium in the Miami area.

Since eradication of the lionfish appears almost impossible and it is very difficult to control them, Mr. Isaacs said that right now the best available plan is to capture and eat them.

The Senior Fisheries Officer said they are currently working with local fishers and dive operators as well as agencies in the region to address this issue of lionfish invasion.

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