ReefSave.org in partnership with ReefCI, a non-profit operating at Tom Owen's Caye, 25 miles South of Placencia Belice, has built the first non-weld Lionfish Purse Trap in Belize. This is test trap #21 for ReefSave and #1 for ReefCI. This test, on October 15, 2021 was the third test of this trap, having previously been tested the day before at 30 feet and 60 feet.
ReefSave's mission is to find self-funding solutions for the invasive lionfish problem that has affected the Western Atlantic, all the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and recently the Eastern Atlantic off the British Isles. By lowering the cost of building lionfish traps and working to make lionfish harvesting more efficient and economical, ReefSave seeks to make it profitable for fishers to remove this invasive species and sell it as human food. They are venomous, not poisonous, but they are delicious.
Lionfish have no predators outside of their Indo-Pacific range and have devasted marine life to such an extent that in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico they are reported to become cannibals after wiping out all other species. Lionfish produce massive amounts of eggs that are predated in their native range, but not in the affected areas. They prey on juveniles of all species and have been recorded eating the cleaners at "cleaning stations".
ReefSave.org is committed to a long-term project in Belize, working with the LWG and Fisheries to test and help fishers earn income by harvesting lionfish both for domestic consumption and export to the United States. Pending receipt of proper permits for test fishing, ReefSave.org volunteers have and will continue to teach, train and performance test traps in Belize, empowering Belizeans with the knowledge to teach and help others without the need of outside support in the future.
Once permits for test fishing with traps are approved, ReefSave.org will continue to support the Belizean people with volunteers and materials to continue to improve the design and performance of the traps to make harvesting efficient and profitable for both small scale fishers and larger commercial operations.
The Lionfish "Purse Trap" was designed by Dr. Steven Gittings of NOAA. NOAA has a patent on the design to assure that is available for free for the world to use. Working closely with Dr. Gittings since our first tests in Bequia in 2018, ReefSave.org volunteers built the first "No-Weld" purse trap in Virginia in 2019 and built and tested it again in Bequia later that year. These changes significantly reduced the cost of building the trap and the October 2021 tests n Belize, 25 miles offshore on a Caye with no electricity is clearly "Proof of Concept" that these traps can be built anywhere.
ReefSave.org is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Miami, Florida that relies upon volunteers and donations for all of its work. There is no paid staff. Volunteers must pay their own way to attend these events and help others.
Your support is needed and appreciated. Please make you tax deductible charitable donations to ReefSave.org and choose ReefSave Inc when using smile on amazon. We need every penny to continue our mission.
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