Lionfish

From: Andrew Bales
Series: Into It
Length: 01:45

The surging population of non-native lionfish off the atlantic coast has brought about new recipes, rivalries, and even rodeos. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Lionfish
From: Andrew Bales

Lionfishpicture_small The surging population of non-native lionfish off the atlantic coast has brought about new recipes, rivalries, and even rodeos.

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Piece Description

Broadcast History

November 8, 2011. 89.1 KMUW

Transcript

The Atlantic coastline has become the new Wild West, or at least that’s what the bizarre marketing campaigns launched against the non-native lionfish would lead us to believe. Lionfish have become such a threat to the ecosystems and fishing industry along the Atlantic that even their institutional allies have turned against them.

Lionfish are native to the south pacific, but since the early ‘90s their numbers here have boomed. In the Atlantic, these maroon and white striped fish have no natural enemies, and their plump bodies are protected by long venomous spines. They are drawing concern not only because they breed fast and in large numbers, but because of their appetite; lionfish are essentially colorful, roaming eating machines.

In response, various groups have begun organizing hunting expeditions called lionfish rodeos. The events are one part environmental project, one part underw...
Read the full transcript