[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 67 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 67

Expressing the need to raise awareness and promote capacity building to 
   strategically address the lionfish invasion in the Atlantic Ocean.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2013

Mrs. Christensen submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

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                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the need to raise awareness and promote capacity building to 
   strategically address the lionfish invasion in the Atlantic Ocean.

Whereas two species of venomous lionfish, the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) 
        and devil firefish (Pterois miles), were likely introduced into the 
        Atlantic Ocean via the United States aquarium trade in the 1980s;
Whereas lionfish are now established throughout the coastal southeastern United 
        States, the Caribbean, and many regions of the Gulf of Mexico;
Whereas lionfish may live for decades in high densities and reproduce at an 
        alarming rate by spawning over 2,000,000 eggs per year per female;
Whereas lionfish inhabit most coastal marine reef habitats up to 1,000 feet 
        deep;
Whereas in the Atlantic Ocean, lionfish consume over 50 species of fish, some of 
        which are commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important;
Whereas lionfish may impact species of concern such as the Nassau grouper and 
        Warsaw grouper, speckled hind, striped croaker, and key silverside;
Whereas the economic impacts of lionfish may include hindering stock rebuilding 
        efforts for commercially and recreationally important species;
Whereas economic losses for fishermen from lionfish may include loss of fishing 
        days when painful envenomation occurs and reduced catches of some 
        commercial species;
Whereas predation on herbivores by lionfish can result in cascading impacts such 
        as increased macroalgae and decreased coral biomass which would threaten 
        ecosystem integrity and ecosystem services provided by coral reef 
        ecosystems;
Whereas lionfish may impact Atlantic Ocean biodiversity by consuming fish 
        species critical to maintaining healthy and viable coral reef and hard-
        bottom ecosystems;
Whereas interactions with other reef stressors such as ocean acidification, 
        warming temperatures, and other factors could exacerbate lionfish 
        impacts;
Whereas the destruction of coral reefs and increased human health hazards from 
        lionfish may have devastating impacts on the tourism industry, which is 
        critical to the economies of coastal communities;
Whereas current technology suggests lionfish eradication at the regional scale 
        is likely not feasible given the expansive depths and geography of 
        lionfish habitat;
Whereas control plans that support sustained removals of lionfish can 
        significantly reduce local lionfish densities; and
Whereas tools for local lionfish control in some communities may include 
        commercial harvesting as a food fish, harvesting juveniles for the 
        aquarium trade, sport tournaments, and citizen-based removal programs: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges development of a comprehensive, scientifically 
        based, region-wide strategy to address the lionfish invasion in 
        the Atlantic Ocean, that includes actions such as local 
        management plans and international partnerships;
            (2) supports scientific research and capacity building to 
        develop and implement responses to the lionfish invasion; and
            (3) encourages raising public awareness about the lionfish 
        invasion across the United States and its territories, 
        especially in coastal communities, through outreach and 
        education.
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