Andres Felipe Valencia
Title: Owner, Lionfish Scuba
Association, Company, Affiliations: NAUI
Location: Santa Marta, Colombia
Your favorite quote: Eat more lionfish!
Your message or mission statement regarding lionfish: Help save the ocean and eat lionfish.
Your latest lionfish endeavors and where they take place: Andres is a dive instructor for NAUI at Lionfish Scuba in Santa Marta, Magdalena. He has put lionfish hunting on the map in Columbia educating other dive shops about the harm they do to the Caribbean coast reefs. He is near Tayrona National Park, which is a popular destination for diving in Santa Marta. It is important that they hunt lionfish in Tayrona so that they will not outgrow the other fish populations. They have eradicated a large portion of the lionfish. It is harder to find them in common spots. Andres dives in other locations to find them now. He is finding them at deeper depths where they have become much larger, 25-30 inches.
Divers like those at Lionfish Scuba use specialized gear, such as mini spears and protective bags, to safely catch lionfish without damaging the surrounding coral reefs. This form of spearfishing is seen as more sustainable compared to other fishing methods, as it allows divers to target specific species and avoid harming protected species or juveniles.
Andres has introduced lionfish to restaurants in the area. They are now serving lionfish dishes. The divers are now eating their catch of the day.
Lionfish Scuba is committed to lionfish hunting. This invasive species threatens their reefs and the Caribbean biodiversity. With Lionfish Scuba, you can learn to do it and turn your dives into dives with purpose, helping protect the ecosystem.
