(DiverWire) LionfishUniversity.com has just unveiled a hot new Lionfish video. The site and Facebook page were founded by Jim Hart (screenwriter), Courtney Platt (photographer) and Stacy Frank (avid diver) in November, 2012 in response to the enormous problems created by the invasive lionfish throughout the Caribbean.
According to Stacy Frank, “We initially were gathering background research for a horror script involving lionfish and quickly realized that these beautiful fish had morphed into monsters in the wrong ocean and were devastating the reefs and the ecosystem where they had invaded outside of their native range. We felt compelled to do what we could to help fight the onslaught.”
She continues, “We had spent a few days at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman last summer getting updates on the invasion when some very good news from the institute was published showing that essentially culling lionfish with spears does work.”
Last month, the Lionfish University group met with key volunteers (Frans and Stef De Backer Cinematographers, John Ferguson, Katie O’Neill, Dr. Gerardo Ochoa-Vargas, Jason Washington of Ambassador Divers, Lindsay Japal: Miss Cayman Islands, Chef Thomas Tennant of Michael’s Genuine, Sarah Jones of Ambassador Divers and Stephen Broadbelt of Ocean Frontiers) and did some brainstorming about doing a Public Service Announcement relating to the lionfish invasion. Stephen suggested that the most impactful message we could get across to help would be to let people know that lionfish taste good and increase demand for these delicious tasting fish!
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute is currently conducting a study to show than controlling the lionfish population by spearing results in a re-population of reefs by native fish, and preliminary data look promising.
So coupled with previous projects – Culling Works!, Lionfish Taste Good! and Saving the Reefs! – we produced our first Lionfish University Public Service Announcement: Take a Lionfish to Lunch…and EAT IT! starring Lindsay Japal, Miss Cayman Islands. It’s about conservation cuisine and Go Green, Eat Red….Lionfish!
