Lionfish in the Florida Keys

Lionfish, although beautiful, are an invasive species here in the Florida Keys. Their natural location is in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. This is a problem because they are dangerous to divers as they have venomous spines. They have no natural predators here and they reproduce in great numbers. They are displacing important commercial fish and reef fish. To combat this invasion a large scale assault is taking place against the lionfish. Many divers are arming themselves with small fishing spears to kill the lionfish. Once dead they become food for other fish, or more recently, food for people. They are rumored to be quite delicious. It's going to be quite a battle but divers here in the Florida Keys are ready to fight the invasion. For more information on lionfish see: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/welcome.html