Name: Divers Hunt Venomous Fish Invading Our Oceans
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Without any natural predators, invasive lionfish populations grow unchecked and wreak havoc on marine ecosystems. Watch free divers hunt these poisonous fish.

Divers help turn the lionfish’s Atlantic invasion into a commercial opportunity.

Divers Hunt Venomous Fish Invading Our Oceans

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Without any natural predators, invasive lionfish populations grow unchecked and wreak havoc on marine ecosystems. Watch free divers hunt these poisonous fish.

Divers help turn the lionfish’s Atlantic invasion into a commercial opportunity.

Nature

Divers Hunt Venomous Fish Invading Our Oceans Published November 8, 2022 NARRATOR: The lionfish. Along the Atlantic coast, they have gone from population zero to top predator, in mere decades. Joline ten Haken and Farra Figaroa have taken up hunting lionfish for side income.FARRA FIGAROA (Freediver): Almost every weekend we catch lionfish, yeah.JOLINE TEN HAKEN (Freediver): You feel very free, because you’re without any equipment. It’s just ourselves and our, our bodies and our stamina. One of us has got the zookeeper and the other one went looking for fish. And as soon as we saw one, we just go down and we try to catch him.FARRA FIGAROA: Yeah. I also do it as a side job. I’m 15, and I always wanted to have a side job and get a lot of, a little bit of money to buy things. No, it’s a really good day. Yeah. Like nine kilos, I guess. It’s, yeah, I think it’s nine kilos. It’s a lot. Now we’re going to put them in a cooler, and then we bring it to a restaurant where they sell them, where they sell the lionfish. They make a lot of dishes.JOLINE TEN HAKEN: It’s very funny story. In fact, Farra actually didn’t eat fish before she started hunting lionfish. And now she hunts lionfish, she had to start eating them. And she actually really likes them.DANNI WASHINGTON: Farra and Joline are two of the many divers on the island who have helped turn the lionfish’s Atlantic invasion into a commercial opportunity. As awareness builds, invasive lionfish are becoming an increasingly popular local dish. The fish can be used to create island favorites, whether it’s ceviche or fried whole.

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Divers Hunt Venomous Fish Invading Our Oceans

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