TIDE Lionfish research and outreach activities 2012-2013

External Report
Foley JR, July 2013

Introduction: Lionfish are an invasive Indo Pacific fish species in the Caribbean region, first documented in Florida in the mid-1980s, and first discovered in Belize in 2008. TIDEs MBRS monitoring, which has monitored fish species diversity in PHMR since 2003, did not find lionfish in PHMR until 2010, making PHMR the last protected area in Belize known to have been affected. While practically all of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef has now been invaded by this foreign predatory fish, TIDEs monitoring indicates that some sites in PHMR, notably East Snake Caye, are still free of lionfish, making this an important area

Lionfish culled in PHMR by TIDE Community Researchers

to acquire pre-invasion data. While the invasion elsewhere in Belize took hold before the need was identified for pre-invasion data on coral and fish ecosystem health, East Snake Caye is now an invaluable site for conducting ecosystem composition surveys on unaffected reef habitats, enabling pre-invasion studies to be designed with an impending invasion in mind. This provides a unique opportunity to ensure appropriate parameters are considered before the invasion, resulting in the best possible pre-invasion data collection. TIDE lionfish research 2012: TIDE has committed to addressing the lionfish invasion in Port Honduras Marine Reserve since summer 2012 through its connection to the Connectivity MAR Network, a working group created by MAR Fund, ECOSUR, NOAA and CIMAS. A primary objective of this group is to investigate regional scale lionfish connectivity in the MAR region. ECOMAR and TIDE have also been collaborating on a range of lionfish research,

Texas A&M students Hillary McFaddin and Matt McMahon conducting lionfish research at TIDE in summer 2012.

outreach and capacity building activities since 2011. While it was recognized in 2011 that lionfish pose a potentially serious threat to commercial fishing and ecosystem health in PHMR, at that time no funding had been sought to address this threat through research or management. In the absence of funding, yet realizing there was no time to waste in addressing the issue, TIDE R&M department was able to conduct a baseline study of lionfish in PHMR in summer 2012 by hosting two Texas A&M students (Matt McMahon and Hillary McFaddin) to conduct the work and piggybacking their field trips onto existing routine monitoring trips for which funding was available. This study sought to determine population density, spatial distribution by habitat type, size frequency distribution, feeding behaviour through gut content analysis, and gender ratio via gonad analysis. MBRS (reef monitoring) surveys in affected and unaffected areas of the Snake Cayes were also carried out at this time in an attempt to identify any correlations between extent of invasion and ecosystem health, an important consideration for future fisheries management and ecosystem conservation in PHMR. Results of this study can be found in McMahon and McFaddin (2012), available from TIDE R&M department and soon to be available on the R&M page of the TIDE website www.tidebelize.org. It was also important to determine the extent of the invasion by comparing the above parameters with lionfish populations in other parts of Belize where they are known to have been established for a longer period of time. This comparison allows us to track the progression of the invasion in PHMR and ultimately inform adaptive fisheries management. By attempting to predict the impact over the long term on traditional fisheries in PHMR, TIDEs research department and reserve

managers can work in partnership with PHMR fishers to prepare for potential impacts of the invasion and take mitigating action now, before it is too late. TIDE lionfish collaboration for research: Through professional working partnerships between TIDE, SEA and Blue Ventures, TIDE was able to compare data from PHMR with data collected from multiple areas adjacent to and offshore from Placencia, expanding the regional application of this work. As SEA also hosts two Texas A&M students each summer, this created the necessary link to collaborate on a regional scale. With expertise and human resources offered by Blue Ventures, we were able to access over 900 lionfish caught during the 2012 LobsterFest in Placencia and compare the aforementioned parameters in lionfish from multiple areas of the reef outside Placencia with those caught in PHMR. The results revealed significant differences in diet, gender ratio, behaviour and size frequency distribution between lionfish from PHMR versus those from other areas where the invasion was more established, further indicating that the

Gut content in lionfish from PHMR vs Placencia revealed marked differences in diet between the two populations. In Placencia they prefer shrimp; in PHMR they prefer fish. This sheds light on the effect of habitat on feeding behaviour, with important implications for fisheries management

progression of the invasion in PHMR was not yet complete and the worst may be still to come before the invasion stabilizes. TIDE lionfish research 2013:

expand or remain stable as it is. This may have important implications for future management of the reserve and what activities TIDE includes in future grant proposals.

Fieldwork in PHMR was conducted It was clear then that there was a by Kayla and Rachele between May need to continue TIDEs lionfish and July 2013, again by research in 2013, and a grant was piggybacking this research onto then successfully acquired from existing monitoring trips being COMPACT to conduct 10 days of conducted by TIDEs R&M team. Not TIDE 2013 Lionfish research lionfish culling in PHMR over the only did this massively reduce team: left to right, Kayla Flores summer of 2013. TIDE again hosted (Texas A&M University), Willie potential costs of this research, but Caal and Victor Williams (TIDE two new Texas A&M students also provided the students with a Community Researchers) & (Kayla Flores and Rachele Lopez) to Marlon Williams (TIDE Marine team of experienced community continue the work started by Matt Biologist). researchers to assist with dive and Hillary, repeating the same support, culling and dissections. study at the same sites, and again working with SEA and Blue Ventures to access lionfish culled in Market development in Belize 2013: the 2013 LobsterFest. This will enable us to determine any differences in PHMR since last year in terms of average sizes, proportion of the population that is reproductive, population increase, diet preferences and gender ratio, and to see whether the populations in other areas are stable in terms of these parameters in comparison to PHMR, or whether the different populations have stabilized in different ways. This may tell us whether we can expect the PHMR invasion

Dissected lionfish being prepared for export at Placencia Fishing Cooperative, LobsterFest 2013.

Marlon and Kayla dissect lionfish at Abalone Caye, June 2013

Jen Chapman, country coordinator for Blue Ventures, has been collaborating with TIDEs Science Director, James Foley on lionfish research throughout this entire period, as it is a major research interest of Blue Ventures in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve in northern Belize. At the end of the two year study, TIDE and BV aim to conduct a national scale joint analysis of the data collected in PHMR, Placencia and Bacalar Chico,

characterizing the invasion on a national scale and providing national scale management and policy recommendations. Ms. Chapman has been instrumental in developing an international market for lionfish through her collaborations with fishing cooperatives in northern Belize and Placencia. This as an essential action for creating the incentive for fishers to catch lionfish on a commercial scale. Occasional research cullings and lionfish derbies barely scratch the surface as a means to control the population enough to allow native juvenile fish populations to recover from the 80% decrease recorded in some parts of Belize. As there is little tangible hope of eradicating this species from our reefs, the only alternative for mitigating their deleterious impacts on native fish species and ensuring continuance of traditional fisheries is to continually manage it on a scale many orders of magnitude greater than what existing culling efforts can currently achieve.

David Johnson, director of the importing company Traditional Fisheries, was in Placencia to certify the coop facility for export while the test batch of lionfish was prepared for shipment adjacent to the competition landing site. LobsterFest, was covered by national media that were present at the landing site at the same time. This enabled TIDEs research team to get exposure as having supported this effort also, as they were on some of the boats in the competition and had a research team of 9 present. LobsterFest lionfish competition research 2013:

Ms. Chapman is now working to link Left: TIDE Science Communications Intern, Cristn Fitzpatrick, weighs total catch from each boat in 2013 LobsterFest lionfish competition. Right: TIDE & Blue Ventures Belizean fishing coops to lionfish importers collecting length, weight and gut content data on lionfish being prepared for export at in the United States, and has secured a Placencia Fishing Cooperative, LobsterFest 2013. market value sufficient to make catching of TIDEs research team consisted of James Foley, lionfish economically viable to Belizean fishers. Cristn Fitzpatrick, Clare Simm, Caz Oliver, Kayla Lionfish produced by the competition were Flores, Rachele Lopez, Jorge Rojas, Victor received by the Placencia Coop, of Williams, Willie Caal, and Gillian which 11.5lbs was exported as a Kirkwood who has had experience test run to the United States, with dissecting over 5000 lionfish. Cristn the aim of demonstrating to other and James organized data collection coops that lionfish does work as an on the competition boats as well as export product and hopefully recommending safety standards and encouraging expansion of lionfish competition rules to the organisers, exports from Belize. If successful, and along with Nicolette, TAMU this could help fishers to diversify student at SEA, were asked to be their products and reduce fishing observers on the boats to ensure pressure on struggling commercial TIDE Community Researchers these standards were adhered to. Victor Williams and Willie Caal species such as conch. The rest of the team were ready at
fillet dissected fish for export

the landing site to receive and need to generate demand for weigh the fish in public before lionfish meat from southern Belize, taking it to the Placencia coop both locally and internationally. facility to conduct research on 10% TIDE has therefore been carrying of the total catch, thereby out education and awareness providing data for TIDEs lionfish activities, as well as perceptions research program to compare with surveys in order to track and report our data from PHMR. The team on the evolution of public split into two groups to conduct gut perceptions and willingness to buy content analysis and length / lionfish at the local level. TIDE weight measurements, then tallied R&M department has organized up competition scores before the tasting booths at public events in fish were finally sorted into TIDE Community Researcher, Victor south Belize, such as TIDE weekend exportable and non-exportable Williams, giving safe handling and in October 2012, Chocolate Festival categories (minimum exportable filleting demonstrations to the public at Chocolate Festival 2013, Punta Gorda. in May 2013, and Placencia size is at least 5oz fillet or 1.5lb LobsterFest in June 2013. whole), with filleting being carried out by Victor and Willie. The remainder was filleted by coop Through collaboration with ReefCI, TIDE acquired staff the next morning. The results of this data lionfish to cook and serve free of charge at these collection will be included in TIDEs 2013 lionfish events, on condition that people who tried it filled research report to be completed by September out questionnaires. Data from both TIDE weekend 2013. and Chocolate Festival were analysed, tracking TIDE lionfish market development and outreach activities 2012-2013: TIDE recognizes that the only feasible long term management solution for controlling the lionfish population in PHMR is to create the incentive for fishers to catch them routinely. This can only happen if their market value is high enough to make it worthwhile to fishers. There is therefore a shifts in public awareness over time. Both articles are available on TIDEs Facebook page. TIDE community researchers Victor and Willie also participated, cooking the fish at the events, providing education to the public to quash myths about lionfish (e.g. meat being poisonous to eat) and showing people how to safely handle and fillet them via public demonstrations.

TIDE Development Interns, Caroline Oliver and Clare Simm, cooking up Belikin Chocolate Stout beer-battered lionfish at Chocolate Festival 2013, Punta Gorda.

Perceptions surveys revealed that since October 2012 and May 2013, the amount people are willing to pay for lionfish has increased from BZ$2-3/lb to around BZ$5-8. Some PG restaurants are now offering BZ$10/lb to fishers.

Left: Lionfish recipe provided at Chocolate Festival and LobsterFest 2013. Right: Results of the tournament

At the 2013 Chocolate Festival, TIDE was able to secure a donation of a case of Belikin Chocolate Stout from Bowen & Bowen thanks to Linda Searle and EcoMar, for use in our chocolate stout beer-battered lionfish recipe, boosting the profile of lionfish consumption in the public eye. Recipe pamphlets were also made available so that people could try our recipe at home if they wished. All the tasting events so far have been a great success with many people approaching the booths with skepticism and misinformation, but soon coming back for more after trying it! LobsterFest 2013: At the 2013 LobsterFest, TIDE was able to share a booth with SEA and Blue Ventures, enabling TIDE

to hold this most recent tasting event for free at one of the biggest annual public fairs in Belize. On both the Saturday and Sunday over 200 lionfish from the competition (via Placencia Coop) was barbequed and given away in return for completed questionnaires. Outreach activities were created by TIDE and Blue Ventures (e.g. games, recipes, videos, awareness questionnaires, fact sheets, safe handling and filleting demonstrations) for children and adults to learn more about lionfish. Questionnaire results will be available soon. The outreach activities have been so successful in southern Belize that this year four restaurant booths at LobsterFest were selling lionfish meals for BZ$15-25 a plate, with lionfish purchased from

Left: Kayla Flores, TIDE research student from Texas A&M, and right: James F and Cristn Fitzpatrick manning the booth at LobsterFest. Right:

the Placencia Coop. Last year none of the restaurant booths wanted to serve lionfish. Perceptions really are changing now, and with the media coverage of the event it is likely that more coops will now have the confidence to explore lionfish as an international export product, potentially closing the gap left by dwindling stocks of native commercial species such as conch and sea cucumber. TIDE remains committed to supporting this market development through collaboration with Blue Ventures, SEA, local restaurants, the public and local communitybased fishing cooperatives. It is hoped that this year TIDE can work to build capacity and confidence within Rio Grande Fishing Coop to jump on the lionfish bandwagon and begin exporting and benefiting local fishers with a product that never goes out of season! GCFI research on impact of culling on lionfish population density: Of course, the ultimate purpose of all of this work is to promote continued health of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef by achieving the necessary capacity to control lionfish populations and mitigate their impacts on the reefs of Belize. Recently, a recommendation was released by GCFI (Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute), to conduct surveys before and after lionfish tournaments to assess their impact. TIDE and Blue Ventures are working together to investigate a host of research questions with management applications in support of GCFIs primary lionfish regional objectives, to determine exactly how effective lionfish culling activities are as an ecosystem management tool. It is necessary to determine the impact of current culling efforts on population dynamics (e.g. population numbers, average sizes, proportion of the population that is

reproductive) to predict future supply, and build confidence within coops, exporters and importers to develop this industry towards a long-term, sustainable national scale export product that will not only minimize their impact on reefs and reef fish, but also generate lasting sustainable livelihoods for Belizean fishers. GCFI have developed an internationally accepted methodology in partnership with El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), the University of Miami and la Comisin de reas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), which they agreed to share with us in order that we could seize this opportunity to conduct underwater pre- and post-culling population monitoring. Given that this is a major research objective of GCFI, it is likely this work will result in one or more peer-reviewed publications, with TIDE and Blue Ventures as coauthors. It is anticipated that this will generate interest within GCFI for funding further research, management and market development activities in the near future in both TIDEs and Blue Ventures regions of interest. As both TIDE and Blue Ventures were already collaborating on lionfish education and outreach at LobsterFest with appropriately qualified and experienced personnel present from both organisations to conduct the necessary survey

work, the lionfish competition provided a unique and ideal opportunity to conduct surveys that would contribute to GCFIs and TIDEs research objectives and build on the existing data collected in 2012 and 2013 with Texas A&M university for a journal publication the necessary step to consolidate our position as leaders in the field of lionfish research in Belize, and enabling us to enhance research-based management of the invasion in PHMR. Due to the short timeframe within which the GCFI recommendation has been developed, neither TIDE nor Blue Ventures had secured funding to conduct the survey dives before and after this year's Lobsterfest. We were able to overcome this financial obstacle by collaborating with Patricia Ramirez, managing director of Splash Dive Center in Placencia, who generously agreed to host and support our research team comprising experienced staff from SEA (Annelise Hagan), Blue Ventures (Jennifer Chapman, Karin Gruber) and TIDE (James Foley, Cristn Fitzpatrick, Caroline Oliver) all PADI Rescue Divers and above, with support from Splashs Divemaster team who were there to guide us to suitable sites and who oversaw our safety during the monitoring dives. It

Lionfish post-culling monitoring at Round Caye, near Placencia, July 2013

was advised in the GCFI-approved methodology to have the same people doing both surveys in order to eliminate bias from human error between the two surveys. The Placencia lionfish competition was this year held on Friday 28th June. As the methodology requires conducting the pre-culling monitoring the day before competitions, and the post-culling monitoring at least 2 days afterwards, the two monitoring trips took place on Thursday 27th June and Monday 1st July. Data analysis is still in progress, but early indications suggest that lionfish population density was not affected by the tournament, though mean total length of observed lionfish was notably smaller immediately after the event. Smaller lionfish may be excluded from open reef habitats in the presence of larger individuals, venturing out only once their direct competitors are removed. Further data analysis is necessary and a larger scale study is recommended to affirm these apparent trends. Nonetheless, it may be better to have future tournaments take place over two days, with greater prizes awarded for smaller individuals on the second day in order to increase the impact on population density of culling events.

Lionfish culling impact monitoring team hosted by Splash Dive Center in Placencia, LobsterFest 2013.

Scientific journal publication will be essential before updating and developing action plans for management lionfish in PHMR and nationally, and will result in important recommendations for PHMR managers and fishers, informing management of more traditional fisheries and of lionfish by Managed Access fishers in PHMR, and providing information to support potential export market development of lionfish from southern Belize in the future. TIDE thanks Jen Chapman and Blue Ventures, Patricia Ramirez and the dive team at Splash Dive Center, Southern Environmental Association, Placencia Fishing Cooperative and TIDEs community researchers and interns for all their hard work to make this collaboration possible. James Foley, Science Director, TIDE July 2013