Is CULL still culling lionfish?
I haven’t heard anything from CULL (Cayman United Lionfish League) recently and not much about the lionfish problem generally. The only invasive creature we hear about is the green iguana. Is CULL still active? And what is the situation with the lionfish — is it getting worse or better?
Auntie’s answer: Well, firstly, although you haven’t heard much about CULL, they have been active and, in fact, held their 27th tournament last weekend. According to a spokesperson from the group, it appears from the kill numbers for this and recent tournaments that the number of lionfish on Cayman Islands reefs is declining.
While this is good news, the spokesperson said they will “continue to cull lionfish off our reef to supply restaurants with lionfish and keep them from staging a comeback. Considering that one female lionfish produces 30,000 eggs every four days, we dare not let down our guard.”
Meanwhile, you can keep up to date through the CULL Facebook page.
Their website is under construction, which is why they rely on the Facebook page to inform the public of our upcoming events, the spokesperson said.
To learn more about the lionfish or find out about training courses to cull them, visit the Department of Environment website.
Category: Animal Questions, Ask Auntie
While the cull is having an impact in shallow waters within recreational diving depths, it’s not impacting the lion fish populating the 150 to 300 foot range. Yes, they are living and breeding there too.