New Lionfish Rules

[silverking]

FWC furthers lionfish control measures, prohibits lionfish aquaculture

At a Sept. 10 meeting in Kissimmee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) acted to prohibit lionfish aquaculture. Lionfish are an invasive species that have a negative impact on native fish and habitat.

The changes will go into effect by Dec. 1. Updates will be available at MyFWC.com/Lionfish.

Management changes were developed in coordination with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and include:

Prohibiting the harvest and possession of lionfish eggs and larvae for any purpose other than destruction;
Prohibiting the intentional breeding of lionfish in captivity.
A scientific research exception will allow permitted research institutions to breed and cultivate lionfish for the purposes of researching population control and impact mitigation.

“Every lionfish prevented from entering Florida waters, and every change that encourages removal is a step toward successfully limiting the negative impacts lionfish have on native fish and wildlife,” said FWC Executive Director Nick Wiley.

The FWC implemented several management changes including prohibiting the importation of live lionfish into Florida effective Aug. 1. The FWC encourages divers and anglers to remove lionfish whenever they can.

See or catch a lionfish? Report a sighting by downloading the new Report Florida Lionfish app on a smart device or by visiting MyFWC.com/Lionfish and clicking on “Report Lionfish.”

To learn more about these changes, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.” To learn more about lionfish, visit MyFWC.com/Lionfish.

[2true]

Cats out of the bag now.. They need to do a bounty on them.

[red_yakker]

Cats out of the bag now.. They need to do a bounty on them.

I was just thinking the same thing.

[EddieJoe]

Cats out of the bag now.. They need to do a bounty on them.

I was just thinking the same thing.

They never learn. Many of the exotic, non-native plants and animals that the FWC, Dept. of Ag., and others have permitted to be in Florida have escaped or been released. IMO, if it can get here, it will either get loose or be dumped by an owner at some point. So, anything that is likely to be a problem should not be permitted, before it is allowed to be imported or sold, not after.

Look at all of the junk we are fighting to the tune of millions and millions of dollars: all of the aquarium plants like hyacinth, hydrilla, milfoil, plus upland plants galore such as melaleuca and Australian pine. Snakes, strange fresh water fish, and lionfish are just a start. The problem with exotic fresh water fish is so bad in Dade County canals that the FWC introduces their own exotic to "control" the exotics. Even feral hogs were spread at one time by the FWC (actually the GFC, I watched the trucks out my window downtown at GFC headquarters), and they aerially seeded melaleuca in the Everglades to create "deer islands".

It's just nuts.

The FWC permitted the problems, now they wring their hands and have "special hunts".

EJ