Lionfish Culling Permit Courses Now Available
All scuba divers, snorkelers, and free divers are now able to obtain a permit to spear lionfish anywhere on the Bermuda platform.
As part of the Bermuda Lionfish Task Force Control Plan, Ocean Support Foundation, in support of the Department of Environmental Protection, is offering Lionfish Culling Permit Courses.
The course, which costs $20, lasts for about two hours and covers information on lionfish, safe handling and spearing practices and an explanation of how the permit program works.
Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive a plastic permit tag and lionfish spearing dive flag. Annual renewal of the permit is free, provided that the permit holder has reported their lionfish catches or sightings to the Bermuda Lionfish Task Force.
To find out about upcoming courses, email your name, email address and phone number to bdalionfishpermit@gmail.com.
With a Lionfish Culling Permit, you can spear only lionfish on scuba or snorkel anywhere around the island including within the 1-mile limit and on protected sites.
“The Bermuda Lionfish Task Force invites you to become part of Bermuda’s front line defense against the lionfish invasion, by signing up now to get your Lionfish Culling Permit,” said a spokesperson.
Read More About
Category: All, Environment
Has anyone checked if we can get PADI course credit for this class?
Thank you!
Hi Karen,
Unfortunately, this course does not give you PADI credit. There is a PADI course, however, but that would only allow you to hunt lionfish through a PADI dive shop.
Take care,
corey
Who in the civil service devised this program ?? Do they want to rid Bda of lionfish or create regulations and more govt jobs ?? Just let people go out and spear them, no red tape, and evaluate the results by getting away from the computer screen, get out of the office (overboard) and do a count. Relatively few will go thru this rigamarole to help out voluntarily.
This program was created by the Ocean Support Foundation in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection. No additional jobs were created, nor were additional regulations. Researchers from the Lionfish Task Force are counting lionfish at 100 sites this summer and the permit program will add to those efforts with the public’s help.
@CHAS – Part of the course has to do with safe handling etc., etc., etc., it’s not red tape , its safety and educating you about the law so people like you that are used to complaining, don’t have anything to complain about if someone gets hurt or hurts someone else.
Why charge for this? Most of those that do this wont be in the water much anyway. They should do the opposite and pay people to hunt them. This is not going to help.