7th Lionfish Removal Derby

On the 25th of July 2021, the “Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab”, the “ENALIA PHYSIS – Environmental Research Centre” and the “University of Plymouth”, along with the RELIONMED’s “Removal Action Teams (RATs)”, implemented the 7th lionfish removal derby. A total of 52 volunteer divers participated in the event. A single dive was performed by the scuba divers (36 members), while free divers (16 members) who competed separately from the scuba divers had to complete the removals within the time limit given. The derby area stretched from the Ayioi Anargyroi chapel tip to the Green Bay area in Cape Greco. Following the competition, divers gathered at the picnic site near the chapel to count and weigh the catch. A total of 186 lionfish were removed (159 fish by the scuba divers and 27 fish by the free divers). The entire catch was composed of medium to small-sized lionfish and only very few were of big sizes. A prize was given to the team that removed the maximum number of lionfish (34 lionfish), to the team that caught the heaviest one (598 g) and to the team that removed the lightest lionfish (17 g). Most lionfish removed by the RATs were given to the “FAT FISH” restaurant, in Limassol, which is collaborating with the project, has introduced delicious lionfish dishes in its menu and promotes the consumption of the species to help the Mediterranean marine environment. We thank all participants and attendees to the event for their support in the project’s efforts to control the lionfish abundance in Cyprus waters and more specifically for their involvement in protecting the marine ecosystem of the Cape Greco area in Cyprus.