Porto Seguro offers $10 bounty as lionfish invasion threatens coastal reefs

Following the first official lionfish sighting on June 12 in the Recife de Fora Marine Natural Park, Porto Seguro’s municipal government introduced a temporary bounty of $10 per captured fish. Fishermen, coordinated with the Municipal Department of Environment and Animal Causes (Semac), have removed nearly 500 lionfish in roughly a month, delivering them to the Fishermen’s Colony and then to the Marine Ecology and Conservation Laboratory at the Federal University of Southern Bahia for measurement and research.

The Indo-Pacific invader threatens native reefs, fish, crustaceans and local fisheries, and its venomous spines can cause painful injuries. Scientists are studying the fish’s diet, genetics and distribution to track the invasion’s progress. In August, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation confirmed lionfish in the nearby Abrolhos Marine National Park, widening concerns along Brazil’s coast. The municipal action plan also includes monitoring, training and accident-prevention measures to limit further spread.