(G. Thurston / 23-03-10) Population explosion of lionfish in local waters is "a plague of biblical proportions stalking the Bahamian economy", the Reef Conservancy Society of Abaco is warning. Members are convinced that unless urgent action is taken, the fish will wreck tourism, fishing and related industries.

It has now been confirmed that lionfish have been decimating ther species which tend the coral reefs. The loss of herbivorous fish sets the stage for seaweeds to potentially overwhelm coral reefs and disrupt the delicate ecological balance in which they exist, studies claim.

Following on the heels of over-fishing, sediment depositions, coral bleaching, and increasing ocean acidity, "this is of grave concern," said zoologist and marine biologist, Dr Mark Hixon, a professor at Oregon State University.

Dr Hixon and his group work from the Perry Institute for Marine Science, Lee Stocking Island, Exuma. They have a three-year grant from the US National Science Foundation to study lionfish. He warned that the rapid reproduction potential of lionfish must now be understood in context with their ability to seriously depopulate coral reef ecosystems of other fish.

It is well documented that over-fishing parrotfishes and other herbivores contributes to the death of reef-building corals. Lionfish are "highly effective" at 'over-fishing', he warned. The Conservancy said Bahamians ought to be alarmed as this strikes to the heart of tourism, fishing and related industries on which the economy of the country stands.

"Tourists come here to see the turquoise waters, they come to fish and dive and enjoy the beautiful reefs," stated the Conservancy. "If theses things go, there will be no reason for tourists to come anymore”. And tourism with its spin-off industries is the very foundation of our economy. When there are no fish out there to clean the reef, the reef dies and the water turns a dark green; dead rubble is covered by seaweeds.

"Tourists who come for the sun, sand and sea will stop coming. Divers are not going to spend all that money to come here to look at dead reefs. There will be no more bonefishing and fishing tournaments. Restaurants will have to close. People will be out of work. It will be chaotic." South Abaco Member of Parliament Edison Key said he was "extremely concerned" since a substantial amount of the Abaco work force is engaged in tourism, commercial fishing and support industries.

The Conservancy's warning was made all the more dire as lionfish have already started to invade nursery habitats in mangroves and creeks where marine life breed.

"We found that a single small lionfish can reduce the number of small fish on a small reef by about 80 per cent in just a few weeks," said Dr Hixon, whose expertise is the ecology of coastal marine fishes in temperate and tropical regions.

"We're not finding many native species that seem willing to try to control lionfish naturally," he said. "We have tried feeding lionfish to large groupers and sharks and they do no seem interested. Native predatory fish do not seem to recognise lionfish as even being fish because lionfish look so weird, and then when they do take a bite they get a mouthful of venomous spines, so that's a deterrent. Moreover, unlike native Bahamian fish, invasive lionfish have almost no parasites." Red lionfish (Pterois volitans), native to the Pacific, were first sighted in the Bahamas in 2005.

Having never existed here before and not facing controls normally faced in their native Pacific region, they are reproducing on an unheard-of scale, said Dr Hixon.

Dr Isabelle Cote, a professor at Simon Fraser University, reported finding nearly 400 lionfish per 2.5 acres on seabed here. With their reddish and whitish stripes, a row of spines down their backs, and fan-like fins, these beautiful creatures are easy to spot. Every spine of the lionfish is venomous. While no fatalities have been reported, their venom is extremely painful.

Lionfish tend to grow larger in the Bahamas, investigations show. Football-size specimens have been reported. Only one of the 15 or so species in the Pacific has been spotted here.