Our reefs survival, parrotfish spearfishing

    From Parrotfish key to reef survival | International Coral Reef Initiative


    Parrotfish key to reef survival


    [IMG2='left']http://www.icriforum.org/sites…otfish-c-aldo-croquer.jpg [/IMG2]Most Caribbean coral reefs will disappear in 20 years if we don't restore the population of fish that eat seaweed, as Caribbean reefs are gradually getting smothered by algae. This is the message of the new report: Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 released today as the result of a three-year joint effort of the International Coral Reef Initiative’s (ICRI) Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

    The new report reveals a more than 50% decline in living corals throughout the Caribbean over the past half century. Given that Caribbean coral reefs generate more than US$3 billion annually from tourism and fisheries, and that they are a major oceanic ecosystem, this is truly alarming.


    The report also shows that loss of parrotfishes and other grazers has been far more important than climate change for Caribbean reef destruction so far. “While it is true that climate change poses an enormous risk for the future because of coral bleaching and more acid oceans, reefs protected from overfishing and excessive coastal development and pollution are more resilient to these stresses. Healthy reefs will bounce back faster after damaging extreme heating events and hurricanes” says Jeremy Jackson, lead author of the report. “We must immediately address the grazing problem for the reefs to stand any chance of surviving future climate shifts.”


    The new report confirms that reef locations where parrotfish are protected from overfishing are the healthiest - such as Flower Garden Banks in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and Bonaire which are resilient reefs. But reefs where parrotfish are being overfished have suffered tragic declines. These ‘Failure Reefs’ are where local human impacts are not controlled; these impacts include overfishing but also overuse for recreation, excessive and destructive coastal development, and pollution.


    The good news from this report means that Caribbean coral reefs can be saved. The report strongly advocates banning all fish traps throughout the Caribbean, banning spearfishing (a practice that cannot be regulated at the level of fish species), and banning all other fisheries practices that harm parrotfish. “We support the formation of a network of Caribbean nations working together for a unified response to the Caribbean coral reef crisis” says Jerker Tamelander, head of the UNEP coral reef unit.


    Some countries are already taking new positive action. Barbuda is moving to ban all take of parrotfish and grazing sea urchins, while also planning to set aside one third of their coastal waters as marine reserves. “We are already seeing the positive effects of these actions,” says Ayana Johnson of the Waitt Institute’s Blue Halo Initiative that is collaborating with Barbuda in the development of their new management plan. “This type of action needs to be taken on throughout the region to increase the resilience of Caribbean reefs”.

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    I think the spearfishing comment bullshit personally BUT, in about 90% of the Caribbean we have no means of enforcement (unlike your reality in Florida) so the commercial spearfishermen work a reef shooting everything(and I mean everything) from 2inches. I have seen them make a reef lifeless in less than five years shooting like this. Also parrotfish don't take hook and line so they are pot fished or speared. The pots here as well are not regulated so they are built out of materials that last year's and years, when a pot is lost it creates a perpetual killing cycle... we responsible speros walk with stuff to break them open to end the cycle.
    Addressing the spearfishing statement, having no resources for regulation enforcement means that no method of fishing is regulated. So specifically they are saying that spearfishing kills the most parrotfish and can't be monitored so ban it completely. The other methods are doing far more damage to our fisheries as they account for the overwhelming majority of fish harvested, but having a huge community of them means they have political clout (sound familiar?). Spearfishing is always the whipping boy when these topics come up.

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Edited 3 times, last by Dude george ().

    Parrot fish are protected in Belize now. But as you stated George, it's enforcement that counts. But I do see a lot of parrot fish when diving the shallow parts outside. Seeing more of the midnight and the other big green and orange one now too.


    Interesting that the articles states parrot fish are the key to reef survival. I was working with a guy here who worked with Cousteau…Phillip Dustan…..who is trying to set up a black sea urchin hatching project. The black urchins had a big die off (Diadema antillarum) in 1983 and he believes that's a big reason for the decline in reef health because they also are big algae eaters on the reef. No one knows exactly why they died….but I think maybe a virus from Asia was transferred here by a ship dumping bilge water after coming through the Panama Canal. That's been the biggest problem in shrimp….moving species and viral diseases around the world.


    I don't shoot parrots but my wife LOVES the midnight blues. They are really good eating. But they're also very smart….like snappers and hard to get close to, which may indicate that others ARE shooting them still.

    I used to shoot parrot fish in Cuba when I started spearfishing, for lack of anything else. If I remember right they spoil rather quickly and the texture leaves something to be desired. Does the Midnight parrotfish really taste any different? Before I knew anything I was adamant about the red ones being the best eating, and would target them exclusively. Later I found out they're just the juvenile stage of the Stoplight parrot fish :dumb:


    Stoplight parrotfish juvenile


    Stoplight parrotfish adult

    Dan I don't know about the red ones being the juvenile stage of the green ones at all. I have seen some massive 5-6lb reds that must be fully matured, and I have seen really small greens also. They are different for sure. parrotfish make the best fish cakes you will ever eat in your life.

    Quote from Diesel

    Dan I don't know about the red ones being the juvenile stage of the green ones at all. I have seen some massive 5-6lb reds that must be fully matured, and I have seen really small greens also. They are different for sure. parrotfish make the best fish cakes you will ever eat in your life.


    As I recall from a conversation with Jack Randall years ago, the colour change is due to sex. Males are green….or red?

    Around here parrots are doomed for their meat quality. I used to see huge parrots roaming local reefs back in the old days and no one was interested in them, until they started preying on ´em. I am guilty of shooting some myself, but it is not my favorite fish to shoot, cause is a PITA to clean and fillet. They look so beautiful down there.


    Now I get the perfect justification to prevent shooting them thanks to you.

    I'm a Speardiver, not a freediver

    Man you made my night, if one person decides to see reason on this issue because it is the right thing to do and not because they are told, maybe we have a shot. Also a new diver made a comment to me about there being lots of parrotfish...it made me realize how many divers have started diving only ever seeing the reefs and fish in decline, they have never seen a healthy underwater eco system to have a informed point of view, how do we convince them. True that forty years of hard data that's incontrovertible should do the trick but who ever said we were smart? :(
    Will say one more thing, because divers see what they think is a lot (numbers) of a critical species does not mean that the population is stable or even that there is enough of them to perform their critical function for the biomass area.

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    I just got this email from Phillip Dustan, the guy who's working on reproducing Diadema, or black sea urchins. He has an interesting take on parrot fish effects on the reef with no Diadema present. Following is part of his email to me.


    "I am in the Florida Keys looking at my old reef sites. The news from them is not pretty and screams for a Diadema invasion to trim down the algae. In their absence the parrotfish are eating what's left of the reef and turning it into superfine sediment that smothers living coral tissue. There are virtually no juvenile corals on the reefs. I've attached a pix fyi. It's more clear than ever that we need Diadema on the reefs."


    We're going to set up the lab here for growing algae and they're sending me a larvae culture manual that a guy in the Keys has developed over the last few years. We'll see….I mean, whatever killed all the Diadema back in the 80s must still be out there. Most likely a pathogen of some sort….virus?


    So…..I'm gonna go kill some Midnight Parrot fish now. :laughing: Just kidding. I'm looking forward to working with this guy though. He was on Cousteau's boat. He should have some interesting stories.

    No, I don't think it's bullshit. It does state that parrot fish populations are high in areas with healthy reefs so it seems obvious that they have a niche role in the systems.


    But it is a complex issue. Parrots aren't really algae eaters. Surgeon fish are. Parrots do crunch coral and I guess inadvertently consume algae growing there too. You can see what parrot fish eat. Spook one and watch him shit sand, or ground up coral. They say that's what the sand on beaches is. Parrot fish poop.


    It may be that the coral where the parrot fish are cleaning up is weak from pollution, warm temperature or a recent hurricane damage? Why doesn't he see new coral growth like I did after the El Nino of 98 in the Philippines?


    I remember the El Nino of 98. Coral bleached around the world. In Boracay, Philippines on the west side there was a beautiful coral garden….that was wiped out by the bleaching from high temperatures, then a massive wave of Crown of Thorns starfish cleaned up what was left. But, on the north and south ends of the island, where ripping tidal currents brought in new, cool water daily, there was little to no damage.


    Point being, it's hard to conclude what is really happening. One could say the crown of thorns caused the damage….but the reef was already weak. The observation made by Dustan was….where in FL? I'm not sure but maybe mile or two away, the reef was healthy.


    Phillip and I had a long conversation about the releasing of these juvenile urchins. I'm a farmer….I'm skeptical about the ability to survive in an environment that they were virtually wiped out in 30 years ago. He thinks it will work. We'll see. I'll grow his algae and larvae for him but I don't hold out a lot of hope for a revival of the species here.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member to leave a comment.

Register a new account
Sign in now