Conservationists Concerned Lionfish Can't Be Stopped

25WPBF.com (ABC news): Conservationists Concerned Lionfish Can't Be Stopped
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Conservationists say the lionfish is killing bait fish from Brazil all the way to Maine.

Local conservationist and dive captain Jim Abernathy said the lionfish are supposed to be in the Pacific Ocean, not the Atlantic.

"The problem with the lionfish in this area is that it reproduces so quickly, and it doesn't have enough predators," Abernathy said. "Basically, the lionfish is eating most of the small fish from Brazil all the way up to Maine. There are a lot of different theories on how they got here -- aquariums, hurricane Andrew, filtration systems. Nobody really knows."

Abernathy wants seafood lovers to try the lionfish in hopes it will get more and more of them out of the water.

"Those of us that have eaten lionfish can tell you it’s a delicacy, and we are hoping that more and more divers will be bringing this fish in for sale," Abernathy said.