Apalachicola Lionfish Hunting April 9, 2015

[@joseph25joe]

The amount of lion fish in those areas is scary! Can't image how much fish they are wiping out in those reefs

[@benduckx9367]

It has been estimated that in their first two and one-half years off Florida, they captured 65% of the natural reef. The biggest problem is that they have no known predators, other than Man.

[@ritamariekelley4077]

How long does it take for one of these reefs to fill back up again w/ lionfish?

[@cdnerin]

Wow... it's just awful to see those reef areas carpeted in lionfish ... thank you & everyone who is going down to hunt them (& eat them, lol) to try to at least control their numbers :) Thanks for filming & sharing, too!

[@svens.5139]

Could watch this for hours, thanks.

[@davidpark4476]

If this is a full time job, I may be in the wrong industry. Would love to do this even if it was for just one day.

[@bschonec]

You should attach a firm handle mid-way down the tube. I cringe every time one of those Lionfish get so close to your hand!

[@ritamariekelley4077]

Me, too. Gloves? also, isn't the grouper a natural predator?

[@pamelajohnson6463]

Wow so many lionfish...what do you guys do with them... Do they get sold heard there quite tasty

[@JorgeGarcia-uh7ox]

Yessss a KZbinr who has a clear zookeeper and I really want to try this it's so satisfying

[@dragon6ft5]

Jorge. Garcia if

[@diegoalejandroriveracastib8942]

Porque siempre los peces están cerca a esas estructuras metalicas. Son trampas con comida? O que tienen, que atraen a tantos peces. Me da mucha curiosidad.

[@zbrooo]

This is so satisfying to watch, like popping bubble wrap.

[@gorkemkyak1963]

i wonder will they learn to run away from divers after some time? runners will survive and breed and eventually they will come back in greater numbers?

[@RaheelPervaiz123]

Oh my goodness they are everywhere. Do they come back after you do this ?

[@bataviaborobudur]

Raheel Pervaiz yes...they swim all the way from asia

[@seanlaughlin5384]

bataviaborobudur No, they just breed like crazy

[@sc0rp1onbit3]

+bataviaborobudur They were abandoned as pets from aquariums and set lose in the Atlantic, this is why they are so ubiquitous here!

[@Silverj2k7]

I cringe when the lionfish get put into the container around the 2:13 minute mark because it looks real close to getting your hand stung D: Is there any way of quickly identifying the females from the males?

[@weiliyin909]

It looks fun. I wish there is a tour for this.

[@Gilafax]

Do you guys donate the meat?

[@samsiryani9023]

It was a very interesting and enjoyable thing to watch. Keep the great work of getting rid of this invasive fish.

[@tropickman]

With each kill, they save hundreds of young fry per week.

[@HuyyKiwi]

Keep it up guys !!!!!! I really want to do this

[@cleanliving2663]

This may sound like dumb question, but why don't they just poke them and leave them there? Wouldn't they be able to kill them much faster that way? I know they do research on them and also eat them, but besides those 2 reasons...

[@leonjohnsonjr3331]

They really wanna eat them

[@bradshawtx]

How many did yall get total?

[@joshs3916]

What model ZooKeeper do you have? I have the Travel/Dive Master.

[@charlespierce8111]

I'm heading to Islamorada in early February and want to try this. Any suggestions on where to spear lionfish in snorkel depth? Don't have scuba gear or the budget for rentals. It'll be for my own use, and I figured I'd take out as many as possible while catching some dinner. Ill be using a similar rig with the barbs bent down. Not to beat a dead horse but be careful, I've been jabbed just a tiny bit by one in the Philippines and that shit was ridiculously painful. I only got a tiny stick from one on my fishing rod haha. Ive been stung by all kinds of shit and that little stick from the lionfish was in the top 3. Slightly behind tarantula hawk lol. Thanks for sharing your footage guys :)

[@ElevateSon]

Lionfish ceviche?

[@loganterry2536]

What hole is this on?

[@JohnSmith-hf1do]

are these fish good to eat ?

[@seinnajune348]

John Smith HELL YEA

[@flactivities7968]

anybody know how deep they were

[@johnguz76]

Dang that’s a infestation.Are these edible?

[@paularcaria]

Yup

[@fremountstsongsrich2453]

EIKS No gloves ? I hope you don't get stung! safety first with me.

[@MuvoTX]

Holy moly... like pulling weeds in the yard. After catching your limit, Do you ever just kill them and leave them behind to feed the other fish?

[@evandoyle7859]

there is no limit on lion fish in florida that i know of

[@jz3084]

They take them away to a factory or a restaurant. Other fish can barely feed on their dead bodies because the deadly venom is still in effect after they die. Even huge fish such as barracuda have a hard time eating them. I guess it's possible if schools of smaller fish peck at the carcasses continuously though.

[@MuvoTX]

... Yeah I was thinking about the lower tiers of the ecosystem and ways to regenerate that since it seems thats what the lionfish feed on. But even then theres an imbalance because a lot of dead fish would be a haven for bacteria and could also harbor virus and disease.... what a messed up situation.

[@kyleblum3831]

there's got to be a quicker way

[@churchskiz]

This is insane...I was in the Caribbean and dove 3 times and didn't see a single Lion Fish..... You could start a commercial fishing operation at this spot.

[@bigm0j02]

Pls When you go somewhere to hunt those lionfishes, always get them all, there is no point to make a half job...

[@SanFranciscoFatboy]

how about a giant vacuum

[@Ocean_Ave]

Notice he's only getting the bigger fish.... Wonder why??

[@icefishing804]

To eat or to sell them

[@TheBaldingPied]

the smaller fish are food for bigger fish. Plus bigger fish sell for more

[@agarwalharsit]

No other fish eats lionfish in Atlantic, even if there are small.

[@coltonkinsey2977]

The Great Me-sama lion fish don’t have any predators👍🏻

[@joelubbers1396]

K9 UNIT l,

[@Deflection]

There's millions of them! Keep filling those bags up!

Geez! had to be a couple of hundred there!

[@Derin66]

There are many lionfish

[@HaPPyPwNy]

A lot of respect to see you go out of your way to avoid a 10 lb mangrove to hit a lionfish. Mangroves are pretty sizeable like that here but they wont allow you remotely close.

[@thebackyardbear]

People have no concept of how many fish a colony of lionfish like this have devoured to reach this magnitude of infestation. There is no doubt this is a devastating plague.

[@PrimalurgesMiami]

Exhausted just watching. Unbelievable problem over there. They have to be wiping out everything else on that reef.

[@peakinbuffalo8296]

+PrimalurgesMiami Im not into this , but why are there so many lol `Was actually quite surprised to see these fish not giving a damn about getting speered one after another

[@jmowreader9555]

They spawn once a month and lay roughly 2 million eggs every time. Lionfish are piscivorous to extremes so most of those fry get eaten by other lionfish, but enough survive to create the problem you see here.

[@brendanray3186]

there so many of them.. jeez

[@a.wilson1979]

Cheers! But it may get more efficient if you use a spear without barbs or rubber bands and transfix them quickly in line, only descarting them off the spear after catching six or more using a long knife to get sure they are died and don't loose time in store all of it , becsuse they are trash.

[@meaghanfaletti2671]

A. Wilson i have since started to use just the pole without using the bands and you're right - it's much more efficient! See my video of the Lionfish Safari 2016.

[@meaghanfaletti2671]

However I prefer not to leave them on the bottom because they are delicious and can be sold to fish markets

[@b.c.8018]

@@meaghanfaletti2671 What is the going price selling them to fish markets in 2024? Will they take the small ones and pay by the pound for the entire lot?

[@bschonec]

Instead of bringing them back to the surface to let them die is there any way to safely and quickly dispatch them? (That is, unless you intend to eat them all).

[@ILikeWetVaginas]

Brian Schonecker fuck these invasive pieces of shits

[@Renville80]

Brian Schonecker they are apparently very good eating and so some restaurants will buy whatever divers catch each day.

[@frankmorris6691]

I hope they sell these fish commercially...I understand a they are very good eating....they must be rewarded monetarily for their effort!

[@BillysRC]

Does it not seem satisfying after you stab them to drag them across the floor and watch all of the guts spew out as you watch the fishs soul be dragged out of them

[@TheSterlingArcher16]

If I didn't have a job and could just live on the coast I'd do this shit every day!

[@92bagder]

its like plucking roses

[@Mike-uu1dl]

A brave man without gloves TY!

[@GatorGillLLCSteveandTresaShort]

Keep up the good work eradicating them.

[@davepallant8835]

I get why it has to be done but I'd prefer to see more of a clean kill, how do the fish die once they are put in the zoo keeper. Not against this at all I just like my killing to be as humane as possible.

[@loisstenner123]

Its all that can be done with the numbers that are invading now. If you slow it down you will never get the better of them.

[@benduckx9367]

The good news about the Lionfish? They are pompous and arrogant, they can be attacked and hardly ever move from their favorite spot...the bottom. If they were tough to catch, we'd be in even bigger trouble. I wonder if they tried using a vacuum, similar to the ones used to dredge, or for gold hunting.

[@TheRealDonLayton]

They're prolific but these have to be intelligence of a slow slug. They sit there and watch their friends be collected, one by one...and just wait for their turn.

[@nicholas8476]

Man needs a machine spear.. Maybe an underwater ‘Gatling spear,’ designed.

[@ryanjoseph3398]

this needs to be done everyday

[@siegfriedpalomba634]

The amount is really scary!

[@alexbraun2243]

Very therapeutic

[@mysteryface6475]

Lionfish: am a god with my spiks humans: what spiks

[@GotoHere]

Good job divers.

[@IshmetKhan]

Just like picking trash paper from the floor. They just stayed where they were.

[@mhr5586]

Lion fish are like hogs. No natural predators and they breed like rabbits. Scary situation we have in USA with these 2 populations

[@e.m.5499]

This vid makes it look like the lionfish are winning. Sheer numbers. God help us.

[@werideplaces3675]

The amount of these things are insane can trapping someway be done for these invasive fish? I been seeing them teaching other predators in the water to eat them. I really think a all out approach spear fishing, trapping, and helping mother nature teach bigger fish to eat them would be best. Also maybe if the restrauntes all teamed up and agreed to raise the price of lion fish meals and promoted eating them it may get more people trying to catch them. Money is always a good motivator if the money is there catching them.....

[@speakyourmind7126]

they are every where God dyam get rid of them all ...what an invasion 😡

[@jessstark2258]

it is gonna take every diver working hard to control these rascals - here is my contribution to the effort in Cayman - kzbin.info/www/bejne/j32klpiPrMuWopY - feeding snapper and kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJCllaeFe86So8k - Feeding Moray

[@borntwice4724]

I’m convinced that lion fish are the stupidest fish in the ocean, as there buddy gets speared right next to him he just floats there.

[@naturallawprinciples]

Could do with one of those underwater industrial vacuums that're used for underwater archaeology. Lionfish & migrants lol

[@vincentconnolly2597]

👍🌊⛵🎣💯

[@sc0rp1onbit3]

At this rate, it'll take decades to rid the Atlantic of this fish! However, l see, that this will be an ongoing problem, that won't be fixed.

[@Renville80]

Michael Baker nah, just figure out a way to get the Chinese interested in these instead of, say, shark fins.

[@reiayanamnam5444]

You know we are an invasive species too 😜

[@yourwisecousinjoe8841]

They breed like crazy and invasive.

[@jimjustice581]

At least they don’t scatter when you stab one. Take ‘em out, guys.

[@65LB]

This shows me that we had better hope a natural predator move in

[@margaretmikell9952]

Do they have a natural enemy?

[@Karnemelk]

@@margaretmikell9952 nope

[@seinnajune348]

Yum

[@TheYavy]

When i watch this i feel like im hunting them.. so satisfying!

[@jeffreywilliams2091]

Honey hole

[@ehseahla]

Eat all the lionfish! :D

[@typingcat]

More like weed fish. They look like weeds on a playground.

[@jameswoodard4431]

Clean en up, get rid of them!

[@calvinjibben2968]

gust getting the big ones. in it just for the $$$$$$$. and sympathy points while they go to the bank! !! $$$

[@zbrooo]

This is so satisfying to watch, like popping bubble wrap.

[@gaius_enceladus]

Yeah, it is! I could watch this for hours!

[@seanyager3177]

Right!? Like picking scabs..