Lionfish are an invasive species from the Indo-Pacific that have rapidly spread across the Caribbean. Without a natural predator, they are quickly devouring the native reef fish (especially juveniles) and decimating the natural order. In the mere eighteen months since I last visited Roatan, the size and population density of lionfish has increased exponentially. Whereas previously it was a bit of a novelty to encounter a lionfish on a dive (and the largest was about two inches), nowadays it is common to see up to a dozen on a given dive (the record kill stands at fourteen inches). In response, the Roatan Marine Park has endorsed the hunting of lionfish as an attempt to curtail overpopulation. Hawaiian slings are available » read more «