<\/p>\n
TELA, Honduras \u2014 Mario never set out to become a lionfish hunter. An engineer by training and founder of the local dive center Tela Divers, he simply wanted to do something about the growing number of invasive lionfish appearing on the reef where he learned to dive.<\/span><\/p>\n Native to the Indo-Pacific and thought to have arrived in the Caribbean through the aquarium trade, lionfish have spread rapidly across the region. With few natural predators, they consume large numbers of native reef fish. In Tela, Mario and a group of fellow divers began experimenting with their own specialized spears, then turned their hunts into community derbies, with teams competing to catch the biggest, smallest and greatest number of lionfish. It was a fun way to get more people involved. Regular, community-led hunting is one of the most effective ways of helping keep local populations in check.<\/span><\/p>\n But the fight is a constant one. By the time the divers return to a site they\u2019ve already hunted, lionfish may have repopulated it. Now they\u2019re looking for other ways to keep the pressure on, including encouraging local fishers to catch lionfish for restaurants. For Mario, it\u2019s a long-term effort to protect the reef he calls home.<\/span><\/p>\n Mongabay\u2019s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you<\/strong>. Are there any inspiring people, urgent issues, or local stories that you\u2019d like us to cover? We want to hear from you. Be a part of our reporting process\u2014get in touch with us here!<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Banner image:<\/i><\/b> Hunted lionfish. \u00a9Sergio Rios <\/i><\/p>\n The king of the Andes: How a village learned to coexist with condors<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n