Helen Rodney used to be afraid of the ocean. That’s until she tried scuba diving, which led to hunting lionfish. And that’s what just won her an award.
Rodney of Broward County recently came in third place in the recreational division of Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s annual Lionfish Challenge, removing 962 of the invasive venomous species – usually done by spearfishing – in the agency’s 10th annual summer tournament.
"Anytime I scuba dive, I hunt them," said the Deerfield Beach resident. "They’re hurting the coral reef. Also, I love to hunt. They're great fish to eat as well. I eat them in ceviche, and they're probably the best tasting fish out there."
Lionfish are greedy eaters that threaten to decimate the population of reef fish that eat algae, leading to unchecked algal growth that can smother a reef. The lionfish population soars with no natural predators and without hunters like Rodney and the first-place recreational winner this year, Paul Carlson of Palm Beach County.
He earned the title of Lionfish King for taking out 1,542 of the venomous marine fish.
"I just love killing lionfish, it sounds horrible, because it's so beautiful, but I love hunting them, getting them."
He also is happy to eat his catch.
"My freezer is full. It's better than hogfish and better than grouper. If I had a choice between a lobster and a lionfish, I'd take the lionfish," he said.
The hunt is not for beginners. The fish’s venomous spines can cause intense pain for hours if a hunter gets stuck. Still, more than 500 divers took to Florida waters to remove more than 30,000 lionfish in this year’s contest.
Although most lionfish hunters came from Florida, second-place recreational winner Kris Anderson hails from Texas, with a total haul of 1,098 lionfish.
