Photos/Video: Groundswell Lionfish Tournament

July 20, 2013

[Updated with videos] The 2013 Groundswell Lionfish Tournament was held today [July 20] at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] with members of the public being invited to help eradicate the invasive pest by joining in by “Eating ‘Em to Beat ‘Em.”

Environment Minister Sylvan Richards holding a lionfish:

Groundswell Lionfish Tournament Bermuda, July 20 2013-20

The tournament kicked off at sunrise, and boats had to be at the BIOS dock for the 3.00pm weigh-in. The well attended event included lionfish tasting, lionfish handling, music, a bar, and was hailed a success by Groundswell Founder Matthew Strong and Co-Founder Selange Gitschner.

Chef Chris Malpas discusses/demos cooking lionfish:

When we visited, approximately 60-70 fish had been received and went through a process of being weighed, measured and capture location being recorded.

The fish were then filleted and sent to nearby executive chef Chris Malpas who battered the fish and deep fried them for taste testing. Over 300 fishcakes made with lionfish were also handed out to the crowd.

Corey Eddy discusses eating/preparing lionfish:

Originating in the Indo-Pacific Region, it is believed they were introduced into the Atlantic in the late 1980s by local aquariums or fish hobbyists in Florida.

They have now spread throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, South America and as far north as Massachusetts and Bermuda. Lionfish are indiscriminate predators, preying on species which are commercially, recreationally and ecologically important.

Click photos to enlarge:

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Comments (12)

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  1. young educator says:

    I really want to go to this. I wonder when they will have it again!!!

  2. Anybody know how to catch them Caught 1 a while back. None since though

    • corey says:

      they don’t often take a hook, but it seems to be happening more and more lately. i’ve heard they’ve been caught using squid and mackerel, but also while jigging.

  3. Stratton Hatfield says:

    Congratulations to Team Ground Swell for making such a positive impact on reducing the Lion Fish in our local waters! Big UP to Selange and Matt and their passion!

  4. Confused..... says:

    do we have an anti venom for the poison spines if someone here is stuck by one? We need to find a way to make this fish meat commercial so there is more demand for eating and catching of this fish.

    • corey says:

      good question. it’s been said that stonefish anti-venom might work, but i’m not sure there’s any available locally. as far as i know, there is not a lionfish specific anti-venom.

      we hope that, once fishermen realize they can make good money selling lionfish and they are actually pretty easy to handle, they’ll start pushing it. in the meantime, by asking for it at the markets and restaurants, we’ll hopefully create a demand that promotes a fishery and motivates the fishermen.

  5. HackMan says:

    maybe a fish trap specially designed for only those little red bastids would do the trick

  6. SKINK says:

    look a bit hot under the colar Chris cooking dem lionfish……hope you didn’t get pricked bye!!!