Control of Lionfish in the Mesoamerican Reef

Sharing information, experiences and lessons learned is very important if we want our partners to make informed decisions. With this in mind, the Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund) is implementing a Webinar Series where partners are invited to present results, lessons learnt, experiences and share information regarding projects they have developed with our support.

Key actors and partners from the region and beyond are invited to participate and a Q & A space is open to share thoughts, ideas, and create alliances between the participants that will help replicate initiatives.

The first webinar, with the participation of 38 people from different organizations, was carried out on August 18, 2022 and the goal was to share Blue Ventures (BV) tool for lionfish control, piloted at key protected areas in Belize, with the potential for replication across the MAR. The topics discussed were:

• Background on lionfish native and none-native range
• Characteristics of a successful invader
• Ecological impacts
• Consequences for endemic species
• Belize National Lionfish Management Strategy and Working Group (2019-2023)
• Establishing effective lionfish management in Belize’s fish replenishment zones
• Training and capacity building
• Update lionfish population status (assessment) in Belize protected areas
• Adaptive management
• Lessons learned

The work done by BV in Belize has been possible thanks to your support and for believing in our work. Thank you for supporting us to hunt this predator.

We will keep you posted on any other lionfish topic presented in MAR Fund’s Webinar Series.

The MAR Fund Team.

Support continues in Belize through the Belize Marine Fund, a program within MAR Fund, Blue Ventures Conservation, an organization with almost ten years’ experience of working in the region on lionfish management activities, presented a project called “Building capacity for effective lionfish management in Belize’s fish replenishment zones”. The project will be implemented following the Belize’s National Lionfish Management Strategy (NLMS), supported previously, by strengthening capacity for lionfish control and monitoring in MPA fish replenishment zones.

This project aims to develop effective and collaborative lionfish control in South Water Caye Marine Reserve (SWCMR), using the training model developed for Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA) and currently being replicated with the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) in the Northern Belize Coastal Complex. The primary beneficiary of the project will be the Wabafu Fishermen Association ('Wabafu'), established in 2015 to enable fishers from Dangriga to manage their natural resources.

Wabafu and a new community-based lionfish brigade at SWCMR will receive training and support to undertake lionfish control and monitoring. Detailed surveys of lionfish and prey fish populations will inform site prioritization and lionfish control targets, helping to improve management effectiveness and reduce the threat of lionfish to reef fish populations and local livelihoods.

The objectives of this project are:

• To establish a ten-person community-based lionfish brigade for South Water Caye Marine Reserve (SWCMR) that is trained in scientific scuba diving and safe removal and handling of lionfish.
• To collect updated monitoring information on lionfish populations and associated native fish community status in SWCMR, using the Lionfish Focused Search method.
• To prioritize sites and establish quantitative targets for lionfish control in SWCMR by reviewing data collected in 2022 and with the involvement of SWCMR stakeholder groups.

This project addresses the need for improved management of invasive lionfish in Belize’s fish replenishment zones, with a focus on SWCMR, since the lionfish are decimating populations of native coral reef fish and invertebrates, reducing the reef’s resilience and threatening the livelihoods of the people who rely on it. All lessons learned from this experience, will be shared with the national Lionfish Working Group (LWG) to catalyze participatory planning, monitoring and control efforts in prioritized conservation areas across Belize.

All funding provided has been able thanks to your support and engagement with our projects.

We appreciate your trust in us.

We´ll keep you posted on how this project is developed.

The MAR Fund Team.