March 27, 2014

Dear Sir,

With respect, I am severely alarmed by the Director of Environmental Protection’s Frederick Ming focus on what could be very dodgy aquaculture projects in our precious inshore waters! When he was talking about the possibility of locally farmed Tilapia in the grocery stores, I hope he talked about lion fish, too — an excellent eating fish we currently have as a major and hugely destructive invasive species, decimating our reef fish. Has the massive lion fish problem and the Eat Um to Beat Um campaign simply passed him by? For heavens sake, someone, get the traps sorted out and get the fishermen on board. This should have been a viable commercial option ages ago!

I have eaten lionfish on several occasions in recent years, and it is a simply delicious white fish, whether as whole pieces, fish balls or fish cakes. Sorry, Dr Ming, but I think your priorities, in this instance, are badly twisted! First get lionfish into the grocery stores and restaurants and start, maybe, to mitigate the huge problem we already have in our local waters.

PENNY HILL

Hamilton Parish