The Bahamas and the rest of the Wider-Caribbean have been faced with the challenge of combating the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans). The lionfish has become a major cause for concern for a number of reasons:
1 .Threat to human health;
2. Ability to out-compete native species due to their ambush style of predation;
3. Preys on a wide variety of species including several that are commercially important; and
4. Few known predators in the region.
In 2009, the Department of Marine Resources in collaboration with The College of The Bahamas Marine and Environmental Studies Institute (COB-MESI) initiated a long-term National Lionfish Response Plan (NLRP). The NLRP was formalized in response to the growing threat posed by the invasion of lionfish in the waters of The Bahamas.
Read more: Bahamas Response Lionfish Invasion (PDF)