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Spearfishing Dragon Fish - What's the point?!!?

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HoneyBadger

Active Member
Jul 3, 2015
29
7
43
I'm not a spearo (yet), but I would like to know if there is any point to spearfish dragon fish? It looks extremely unfair to kill it as it barely swims faster than 0.3m (1 foot)/second. Do people actually eat it? Do spearos brag about this catch or is it a shameful act? What do you spearos think about it?

Some evidence:
On the cover of DAN Annual Diving Report (to make it worse, it is a scuba diver!)
https://www.deeperblue.com/dan-issu...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Youtube video about spearfishing in Jamaica (1:47 and 2:16)
 
Do you mean Lion fish? I too was surprised when I first saw they were speared a while back. A little bit of research and I found out they are very edible and in certain waters, USA I think being one of them, they are a non native species and seen as a pest. Therefor spearing them is perfectly fine and even encouraged.
 
...if there is any point to spearfish dragon fish?
Click to expand...

Can be:

1. Food. Some people spearfish for food you know, not for sports.

2. http://www.wri.org/atlantic-and-caribbean-lionfish-invasion-threatens-reefs

It looks extremely unfair to kill it as it barely swims faster than 0.3m (1 foot)/second.
Click to expand...

It is true that it doesn't take great skill to spear one of those.

Do people actually eat it?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Do spearos brag about this catch or is it a shameful act?
Click to expand...

I haven't seen many bragging about it. Perhaps occasional beginner.

What do you spearos think about it?
Click to expand...

Spearfishing is for many the way of getting food on the table.
Lionfish are plentiful, not endangered, not commercially fished.
If someone eats lionfish, they do not have to buy cod or blue fin or salmon from fishmonger and perpetuate commercial fishing industry.
 
Reactions: denian
Lion fish are native to the IndoPacific and are a pest in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Carribbean. They would not be there if they had not been introduced by humans. They don't have natural predators there and upset the balance. The are reducing stocks of native fish. It would be best if they could be eliminated, but it seems to be far too late.
 
Thank you all! That was a very informative thread and changed my mind about this practice.

I didnt know that it became a pest in the Americas as I dive mostly in Asia. I reckon one of the main problem is the ballast water from tankers and cargo ships that bring new specimens to its destinations.

When I searched for lion fish (I used to call it dragon fish) I found a good video from Aruba Reef Care Foundation about this matter:
 
HoneyBadger said:
I didnt know that it became a pest in the Americas as I dive mostly in Asia.
Click to expand...

I too spend a fair bit of time in Asia ,but I haven't been back since I started spear fishing very recently. Im really looking forward to trying the sport in tropical waters for the first time. I personally would take one Lionfish one time only in waters where they were native, just to try it and see what it tasted like. After that I'd leave all reef fish alone.

HoneyBadger said:
I reckon one of the main problem is the ballast water from tankers and cargo ships that bring new specimens to its destinations.
Click to expand...

Hadn't thought of that. I would have guessed it was mainly the pet trade. Aquarium owners releasing unwanted fish etc.
 
I think I've read that it is released aquarium fish.
 
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