How Bermuda Fishermen Are Leading the Fight Against Venomous Lionfish - Vendors

In Bermuda, lionfish are an invasive species that eat many of the fish local to those waters. They have therefore become a delicacy of the island, with fishermen catching them and local chefs preparing them in dishes like ceviche, jerk lionfish tacos, lionfish tempura, and more.
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Credits:
Producer: Carla Francescutti
Directors: Carla Francescutti, Murilo Ferreira
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Connor Reid
Editor: Michael Imhoff
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: Ian Stroud
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Development: Terri Ciccone, Frances Dumlao, Avery Dalal
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[@jgrill110]

Love this, it doesn't get more sustainable than spearfishing for an invasive species. I've done it in Cuba and we cooked it up on the beach, honestly it tastes so much better than you'd expect. Great to see it's being utilized by chefs now.

[@barnesj0007]

It's definitely a good tasting fish!

[@calimalu79cali11]

All the regulations that restrict the harvest doesn’t seem to help stop the spread. At the same time the area and other fish population have to be protected. There has to be a better way to do this.

[@justinn8410]

Isn’t the goal unsustainable fishing?

[@ciello___8307]

@@calimalu79cali11 the regulations to fish lionfish are more relaxed

[@Holycrabbe]

The question is what happens when the population gets taste for the lionfish to a degree where this kind of fishing cant keep up with demand - as that might Introduce breading programs with a monetary incentive of going rouge.

[@MistarZtv]

Seeing wild animals with fatty liver disease is a scary thing to think about

[@hughjaanus6680]

I can think of scarier things.

[@huntakilla1234]

Always love videos where food and conservation goes hand in hand.

[@TheDancerMacabre]

That's why there are places in the south where you can hunt feral hogs with explosives!! It's not a matter of, it's a matter of protection! (And it's fun!)

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

You would think this is a program that vegetarians could get behind.

[@FutaCatto2]

Can't wait for the "Why Lionfish Is So Expensive" video from Insider Business in a few years.

[@davevillaire2990]

Market or not, once an invasive species has become established they are near impossible to remove. Establishing a market without harvest limits might be one of the few ways to actually control them. Some are valuable species in their native areas such as the snakehead fish in many asian countries and the hairy/mud crabs that are now infesting the Chesapeake.

[@protopigeon]

Yep. See also American Signal Crayfish in England. *almost* wiped out the indigenous white clawed crayfish here, but I can't get a trapping license in case there are some local white claws. frustrating.

[@jamessparkman6604]

That is why we are teaching eels and sharks to eat them

[@chesterfazzino]

Every body nosy and think they no every thing😅

[@chesterfazzino]

Big deal eat a fat ass it will smell like fish

[@jamessparkman6604]

@@chesterfazzino nothing but a pack of lies

[@atcogswell]

I worked with Chris very briefly in 2002 and 2003. A genuinely nice guy. The lion fish was just showing up on the island in 2001. I saw the first one on the reef just before I left in 2003. Great work Chris!

[@ygnir1]

Random question but how has he such a really strong Irish accent but said he grew up in that house they went past

[@dragonace119]

@@ygnir1 If you grow up around family or people in general you often times pick up their accent just passively.

[@tweex1]

That bit about all the specimens caught having fatty livers from overeating... disturbing. Great work!

[@margotrosendorn6371]

I wonder if the fat can be rendered for cooking or other uses...

[@tripalongbrasil]

Any species that doesn't have to hunt for food ends up overeating and having health issues... ~stares at humans~

[@trvman1]

Looks like the liver of the average American today, way over eats and fat :)

[@restingsleep]

this part saddens me too, i knew they were invasive but i didnt know that this is what the consequences of being invasive mean. that it would not only disrupt the ecosystem, but they would flourish so successfully to the point where every single one of them is fattened up.

[@Unionhawk73]

That lionfish culling dive flag is extremely cool

[@barnesj0007]

Every time I go out in the Gulf of Mexico I can honestly fill around 3 to 4 five gallon buckets of Lion Fish. It's positively a huge problem for the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico! Also it's absolutely a delicious fish to eat.

[@MonkeyFromTheMoon]

"it's positively a huge problem for the Atlantic ocean" - yeah no it's very negative. Just the fact that you can hunt/eat these fish without bad conscience doesn't make the problem that much less problematic

[@Stinger32]

@@MonkeyFromTheMoon why is that?

[@MooncrafterUTAU]

@@MonkeyFromTheMoon uhhh.... that word wasn't used the way you think it was. Positively, as in testing positive for being a huge problem. Not suggesting that the problem itself is a good thing.

[@MonkeyFromTheMoon]

@@MooncrafterUTAU Ohhh, that makes a whole lot more sense.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

@@MonkeyFromTheMoon how could you take the original posters comment and twist it into thinking it's literally a "positive problem" 😅

[@davidotness6199]

Well-done! As a retired commercial fisherman, I would suggest acquiring some stainless steel mesh gloves for both handling and cleaning.

[@BlackheartCharlie]

We eat lionfish here in Key West. It has a wonderful taste! The flavor is delicate - kind of like hogfish or mangrove snapper with some additional shrimp flavor in the mix.

[@Christian_Tango_Christ]

Can you imagine them putting regulations on killing them here?

[@BlackheartCharlie]

@@Christian_Tango_Christ So far, no regulations here. In fact they hold "Lionfish Derby's" to see who can harvest the most in a weekend. Winning teams kill them by the hundreds!

[@jac1207]

@@Christian_Tango_Christ regulations on an invasive species wrecking native ecology? I am sure the scientific community, the government, and locals want them gone. Unless they stay long enough to somehow balance out in the area and becomes beneficial to local environment, they're not going to be be regulated.

[@willcookmakeup]

The only lucky thing about them not being scared of anything is that makes them easy to catch cause they won't swim away in fear

[@MexxProtect]

When I went to Jamaica last year I had lion fish for dinner one night and it was delicious. I went scuba diving the next day and they told me I could spear fish for lion fish and take em home with me for dinner! Total win win situation.

[@besteffortint]

Those Lionfish tacos look so freaking delicious

[@Odontomango]

From how the chef explain the meat, I feel like they'd be perfect for fish and chips too.

[@margotrosendorn6371]

Mmmmmm....fish and chips. Now I'm hungry! 😗

[@limitlessbydesign]

They absolutely are great as fish and chips. In south Florida they are in the menu as that, tacos, and sandwiches at a lot of places near the water.

[@unwishfulthink]

What a tourism package: diving in a beautiful beach, have fun spear some fish underwater, eat the delicious fish you just speared, and feel good about helping the environment. Win, win, win, and win.

[@Ash-ng4mn]

"we got this invasie fish, let's eat 'em." I love it lol.

[@user-ip5ft4rs3f]

I think there is hope. One year ago I was diving the Great Barrier Reef. Lionfish HAD been a prroblem there and was NO MORE. The dive masters and local scientists had given this much thought. It's felt that the local, larger fish had gradually come to know they could eat the lionfish and were keeping them in check. In 6 dives, I never saw one and our dive guide said that was typical. So, maybe with some time, Mother Nature will help.

[@Lychee-Nut]

I saw a video a few months ago about Various Grouper species adapting to them, and have started eating them. Which is just another reason we need to be on top of how we treat our grouper populations.

[@sheikmuhammad3894]

Ah, the best way to take revenge on an invasive fish species. Make them your dinner.

[@hardcoreromeo2111]

The amount of red tape to remove a invasive species is beyond ridiculous

[@niamtxiv]

Exactly 💯.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

Just demonize the fish.

[@cyruskhalvati]

Buh peta

[@dalemoore435]

Absolutely

[@GH-oi2jf]

As described here, there is minimal “red tape,” and it makes sense.

[@user9b2]

That is right, ones people sees them as a delicacy, restaurants will keep them in check. So, get the chef involved and develop delicious recipes.

[@Steezy_Mx]

My buddy took me spear fishing just like this off the coast of Catalina island. We were on the water for hours looking for Halibut. We didn’t find any but we did see a 6ft sand shark. After we got out of the water we heard reports of a 20ft Great White in the area. It was fun but also very intimidating.

[@Uneke]

They call them scorpion fish in cuba. They were all over the reef I was snorkeling in The guy on the boat scared me worst than anyone has before lol “Lots of people come, they say ‘ohh pretty’ then they touch and then they die! Don’t touch” and pushes me in the water. As soon as my face went under there were a million fish coming at me and I panicked lol

[@tchamseddine1787]

This phenomenon is also happening in Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Due to warmer waters and shipping in the Suez they are funneling in and causing havoc! We are fishing and eating them as well.

[@mxkinist]

I'm from Lebanon too, just a few weeks ago I caught a lionfish with a regular spinning reel not even 30 meters from shore, it was so unreal I used to think they lived in very deep offshore reefs but they are getting closer and closer. Glad I did my part by removing it and eating it (its meat was exquisite) but still not enough fishermen are willing to do their part due to the scary reputation this fish has.

[@thedukeofswellington1827]

The Bermudians accents are so wild...like Mid-Atlantic and English and Canadian? Crazy😂

[@coolnewpants]

I hope the market for this fish grows! Let's eat them out of the Atlantic!

[@margotrosendorn6371]

Even Gordon Ramsay has jumped on this bandwagon. It's one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get some tasty seafood!

[@restingsleep]

thank you for what you do, as a marine bio enthusiast i appreciate so much what youre doing for the ecosystem

[@GariFFUSA]

Props for fishing in Bermuda and never getting lost

[@skrimper]

😂

[@TheXshot]

He's an Olympic swimmer. He outswims the danger 😅

[@Nathan-jw1qn]

Great work - would love to see lion fish on shelves up in Canada so I could support the fight!

[@daydreamer2257]

I really should stop watching these videos when I dont have good food on hand because they always make me so hungry! The food they make looks so good!

[@taiyah_byron]

In 2014, Andrew Zimmern highlighted this very issue in his Bizzare Food show. One way to eradicate it is to eat it. The (Florida) chefs he interviewed permanently has it on their menu. Very sustainable food source.

[@MadDogTV]

They look like and are related to rascasse (Scorpion fish), a traditional ingredient in bouillabaisse and a delicious (venemous) fish in it's own right. I bet they taste amazing!

[@j.vince.can28]

Lionfishes are lucky they are not abundant here in the Philippines. 😁

[@rejiequimiguing3739]

Lionfish are being eaten by larger fish in the Philippine sea

[@WJen8]

Thank you to everyone out there working to combat invasive damage 💯 I hope that more invasive food programs are established which will both help the environment and local wildlife while also fueling the economy in a sustainable manner 🙏

[@asherwilkins465]

I've seen a lot of spear fishing videos but these are the coolest fish I've ever seen someone catch and hunt

[@gabriieIl]

EATER PLEASE MAKE MORE OF THESE TYPE OF VIDS THANK YOU!!!!

[@catchnkill]

Lion fish is a delicacy. Once you have restaurants sell dishes made from Lion fish, you cannot have enough of them. You literally eat them into extinction!

[@OmegaGenesisTrueEarth]

Spearfishing my own Lionfish and bringing a ton back home for the freezer is now on my bucket list! Great video!

[@anthonymentalewicz5143]

Edit - lionfish tacos would make me create a Instagram. I bet they're tasty considering their diet... In Michigan, we have walleye, it's great to eat because of their simple bait fish diet.

[@slice9597]

Natural Predators: (Don't exist) Humans, tapping into our latent status as the apex species: "Fine. I'll do it myself."

[@ChairmanMeow1]

To be honest I havent eaten a fish yet that I havent liked. I'd definitely eat this too. The tacos he made looked absolutely delicious.

[@gfabie4901]

Probably a killer fish n chips right there. Literally.

[@jeffchen1931]

Another problem caused by humans. Reminds me of what happened here in the Washington, DC area when someone released some snakehead fish. Those dishes looks so good! I'd love to visit Bermuda or Florida and help with eating some. Gimme a large bowl of lionfish ceviche please!

[@JamieZero7]

Another problem caused by humans how so? Life only exists because other species go extinct. Great oxygen event created oxygen on the planet. That allowed animals, trees and fungus. But killed all the bacteria virus lifeform that can't live within oxygen environments. Because meteoroid came and volcanos mammals managed to survive jurasic period.

[@JamieZero7]

Alll the continents wlll join again. Changing the oceans again, And one day in the next billion years everything in the ocean will be dead due to the boiling seas. Because of the sun. We are also here because others suns exploded in the past near our sun they went supernova. Even the heat death of the universe will kill destroy itself. There will be nothing except blackholes which will eventually burn out. Entropy will increase and the universe won't exist.

[@pocketinfinity6733]

"Bermuda fishermen" now thats a good band name

[@sethsoderman2731]

Thank you for doing all the hard work what you do for the fishing and everything like that I bet the food official be awesome and try to eat

[@OFNBW]

Thank you for bringing attention to this issue! And for reducing the stigma of eating them

[@AJR-zg2py]

I could watch the chef all day :)

[@samjones4327]

Very nice video!! It's nice to learn that the Lion fish is originally a Pacific ocean fish! Thanks for this showcase!

[@barkingspider2007]

Keep up the good work! You might be able to train sport divers to pitch in. I've been diving for 30 years and would be likely to sign up for a spear fishing for lion fish trip. The video is a great way to enroll the greater community in helping. Nice Job!

[@rickwoodruff8211]

Very impressive! Question: Do you usually harvest just one fish at a time before surfacing, or were you just doing that for this video? I like the 5 gallon bucket you're using to hold your catch! Do you ever cull them by snorkeling?

[@TypeRyRy]

I've been watching a lot of these videos... All the dishes the cooks prepare look *incredible* 🤤🤤🤤

[@parachute3725]

Another awesome video! Really cool content

[@eater]

Thanks for watching!

[@morrigambist]

Yesterday the passenger pigeon, tomorrow the lionfish.

[@hapsate]

Damn!!! Those tacos look GOOD!!!

[@chrispraz877]

Awesome work here sir. I've been to Bermuda a couple times. Such a beautiful place. Unfortunately it doesn't hold the same allure as it once did for American Honeymooners, and all that. I was sad to see the small numbers of beautiful reef fish, probably thanks to this pest. Keep up the great work In keeping Bermuda the beautiful island that it is. 🇧🇲

[@AmericanPatriot-bp7cu]

Wonderful production.

[@brokentablespodcast]

I was stung by a lionfish as a kid... Worst pain I have ever felt still to this day.

[@Bardmusic66]

In America?

[@brokentablespodcast]

@@Bardmusic66 in my father's fish tank. I was feeding goldfish to my snowflake eel and didn't see the lion sneak up behind my hand. He did sort of a backflip causing his quills to literally slice across the palm of my hand. They looked like paper cuts and each finger swelled to the size of a bratwurst...

[@Bardmusic66]

@@brokentablespodcast holy f

[@tristanbass-krueger7195]

Saw these in the supermarket here in Austin the other day. Will have to give them a shot!

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

Where?

[@TheFezzik]

Had these in Honduras and they are fantastic.

[@okieking8503]

That restaurant looks amazing. I'll eat if I ever go

[@offdacorner]

One of the best tasting fish I've ever had.

[@RaoulDukeSr]

Right on to anyone involved in this process !! " Eat em to beat em". I will gladly try them if I'm in the area.

[@thorout8377]

Awsome work 👏

[@greggcal4583]

Now we just need people to start eating the pythons in the Everglades!

[@bgifarmus]

Education and awareness campaigns play a crucial role in mobilizing efforts to combat the threats posed by invasive species through hunting

[@richsherman3673]

I would enjoy a plate of Fried Lion Fish and Chips. Yummmm.

[@pandaslayer]

lionfish is legit tasty too. It needs to be served more across the Caribbean and gulf states!

[@drewjones9391]

Those fish tacos look so good

[@dragonrider712]

The sort of thing I’d learn to dive for. Respect. 👍

[@scottchicago95]

Beautiful water scenes

[@Jorg05111980]

I was looking at that Taco and only thinking "I want to eat it!" and was happily suprised to hear it was the most popular dish

[@lknanml]

They taste pretty good! Go get em!

[@Dimaz42]

there's also some submersible hunting robots, one of them is called Guardian LF1 which hunts, stuns and captures lionfish

[@therasco400]

Quick google that is awesome. Should be the future of fishing as well given it will only take the amount and fish you want.

[@denislemelin7653]

Great information !

[@ryanreedgibson]

I love the taste of the Lionfish. It reminds me of Trigger from the Sea of Cortez.

[@younesbenaissa9775]

Awesome work here sir. I've been to Bermuda a couple times. Such a beautiful place

[@colorado841]

Someday....they will invent a lion fish killing robot.

[@yourdadsotherfamily3530]

My man’s murdered that dish by adding strawberries lol wth atleast only a lion fish died for that lol

[@aeromotive2]

fantastic... i would absolutely eat lionfish and chips... please bring it to las vegas!

[@iuliiavasiuta2740]

Good job, this gives hope.

[@Buddahmonk]

Is it wrong that I would totally take this as a vacation?

[@gaius_enceladus]

Mmmm........ those fish meals look *delicious!* My mouth's watering already!

[@eyespliced]

Damn. This almost makes me wish I ate fish, because I would love to help eradicate an apparently delicious invasive species.

[@malcolm_in_the_middle]

I mean, you could always start.

[@eyespliced]

@@malcolm_in_the_middle nah. I'm good.

[@nathan-ls8yw]

@@malcolm_in_the_middle sadly the taste just doesn’t agree with some people myself included

[@gabrielvasquez-chan7504]

@@eyespliced I mean, why even make this comment then?

[@eyespliced]

@@gabrielvasquez-chan7504 because it's my opinion, and I think what those fishermen are doing is admirable, and that if I ate fish, I would be all over those apparently delicious pests.

[@ajsparx4133]

Might look into this for my next diving certification class, if it's available next time I'm out that way

[@Brendedn]

Usually you don't need more than an open water diving certification and sometimes a spearfishing license for wherever you are. Or you could just snorkel spear them since the adults tend to stay in pretty shallow places.

[@TheLuc224]

It looks delicious

[@flashflame4952]

Some people are getting sharks to learn to eat the lionfish! That's a great idea.

[@reneharkamp4309]

Amsterdam, calling 📞 Wonderful Job ,guys

[@aimDiego]

They're beautiful, it's a shame they have become invasive, but this is a good effort and hopefully it turns into a controlled population with capacity to grow the market.

[@nerd26373]

Those venomous lion fish look cool. Seems like they’re being extra careful around them as well, for their own safety.

[@projectkepleren]

"Let's eat them" logical conclusion lol

[@CaptainRon1913]

Will have to try them next time I'm down there

[@christophergenethliou9666]

The fact that they are tasty as hell helps a lot too😂. I love them!

[@Socrates21stCentury]

Nice job!

[@userbosco]

These invasive fish are all the way up in NC waters now....just great.

[@graceandmarvellouswonders6249]

Awesome

[@ygnir1]

Chris is born and raised in Bermuda but by God he has a strong Irish accent

[@LordAfrocious]

Reminds me of how Asian carp have taken over many of the rivers up north. You hop on a boat and out they come to meet you.

[@calebkao2239]

I would love to travel to Bermuda for a vacation just to go after these species.

[@greatitbroke]

Lion fish is awesome to eat huge flakes super sweet almost like lobster.

[@heidiallen4563]

Many years ago I worked in a pet store. We sold snakeheads, red bellied piranha, Lion fish, pythons, and more. So many animals, and no one ever stopped to think about what the environmental effect would be of people just let them loose.