Chuck, Kim and Stan (Inner Wisdom) enjoying the free rum punch featured at the Wanna Dive BBQ	Resident dummy at the Wanna Dive bar

When we were here last summer, the anti-Lionfish campaign consisted of encouraging all divers to obtain a supply of the widely-available strips of yellow ribbon in order to mark the location of any sighted lionfish.  Each yard-long length of ribbon had a cork attached so that the ribbon would stand vertically in the water.  Then, on returning to shore, the diver could either report the location via phone or a special for-the-purpose web site.  Later, "official" hunters would seek out the ribbon and herd the fish into a net using a fly swatter.  (Really.)  The fish would then either be dispatched or turned in to the research center for analysis of its stomach contents.

Now, the campaign his morphed.  The ribbons are still available, but are no longer emphasized.  Instead, the Marine Park has secured (and is continuing to secure) a supply of for-the-purpose spears that are to be used on the Lionfish.  Bonaire has long been known for its policy of "no spearing of fish", so this marks quite a departure.  But there are major safeguards.  First, the spears are very short, and are powered with an internal steel spring rather than a rubber hose.  Their range is so short that the would-be spearer must place the business end of the spear almost right up against the Lionfish.  This is possible, because, unless the fish has been shot at and missed, it has no fear of the diver or the spear.  The small three prongs at the end of the spear have no barbs, and so the hunter must be careful not to lose the fish after spearing it.  He or she must also be very careful not to touch the tendrils of the fish, since they are highly toxic and sting like the dickens.  The Marine Park provides the spears to divers only after they have undergone a training session, so they are not yet generally available.  Michael and Suzi (Awakening) have undergone the training, and possess one spear, which they trade off in using when hunting.  As of this posting, they are the proud killers of 32 lionfish.

In the picture below, Mike shows the hunting outfit he has fashioned.  On the left, a piece of PVC pipe that serves as a scabbard for the saw beside it and also serves as an extension to the handle for the saw.  The next item is a wallboard saw that they are using to kill the fish after they get one on the spear.  The third item is the spring-loaded spear, and the fourth item is a scabbard for the spear.  One end of the scabbard is composed of a rod holder, and this is used, if necessary, as a bludgeon.

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