Bridgetown.
Lionfish in the waters off Barbados are a major concern for fisheries biologist with the Fisheries Division, Chris Parker.
According to Parker, lionfish sightings in Barbadian waters have increased from ten within the first eight months of the first sightings to ten per week.
Speaking to the delegates from the 21st Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health Regional Commission for the Americas as they toured the Bellair Research Insitute of McGill University at Folkestone, St James.
Parker said that although there was some level of control in place through very good help and response from commerical divers and fishermen who were identifying where they sighted and killing them found, the only way to control the numbers of lion fish was to eat them.
He said that the risk of eating the fish was not greater than eating any other top predator fish as the flesh was fine to eat because the toxins or poisons are in the spines.
Parker said that the invasion of lionfish posed a serious threat to the coral reef ecosystems and in the long term could impact on commercial fishing.
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