Tamera Jones
Source: Planet Earth Online
July 22, 2011

"Groupers could help stem the rapid spread of the invasive lionfish which threatens to wreak havoc across the Caribbean, but only if they're protected from fishing, a study has concluded.

In the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park—the oldest, largest and 'best-policed' marine reserve in The Bahamas—researchers found ten times fewer lionfish in parts of the reef where there are lots of groupers. Fishing has been banned in the park for 20 years, so it now boasts a healthy grouper population.

But on other reefs where fishing is rife, it's a different story: lionfish populations are exploding."

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