Person of the Week

Lionfish Hunter helping to fight the lionfish invasion in Curacao since 2009. Lisette teaches lionfish hunting, sells the fish, makes lionfish jewelry, and organizes lionfish events.

Educates others on the importance of getting rid of the Lionfish fish and through training them to teach, hunt and spear them in Negril, Jamaica.

Neil van Niekerk participated in a study published in Little Cayman that demonstrated for the first time, that the population density of Lionfish could be effectively managed using divers, through culling systematically on the reefs. This method has been adopted in almost all Caribbean countries and elsewhere, including areas in the Mediterranean Sea.

Walt Deelman is major supporter of the work to control the invasive lionfish problem! After discovering the concern himself 6 years ago, he came up with a well balanced, lightweight and affordable lionfish specific polespear that most can afford.

Fine Artist, Owner of Kindled Arts and Art by Aaron Lynn I became involved with the lionfish community roughly 5 -7 years ago when I was introduced to lionfish within the restaurant industry. I was working for Chef Chris Sherrill at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club as a line cook. At that time I was one of the main people who would clean fish for the restaurant and I was intrigued that such a beautiful creature could do so much harm to the local environment.

Stacy has been an avid SCUBA diver since 1973 and lives to dive. Stacy has an enduring passion for ocean conservation. She co-founded Lionfish University with JV Hart in 2012. Their goal is to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining these fragile ecosystems in the global community, and to fund efforts to mitigate the devastating effects of this invasive species.

I see the ocean as an awe-inspiring bioenergetic system, as a wilderness I hope to preserve for future generations, and as a resource – a means from which I and many others support our families.