This week, two congressmen from South Florida renewed their fight to ensure lionfish do not take over Florida waters.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., brought out the “Finding Innovative Lionfish Elimination Technologies (FILET) Act” with U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., as the primary co-sponsor. Last year, Curbelo and Hastings brought out the bill with the help of then U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Fla., who decided not to seek a full second term and retired from Congress.
Last year’s version of the bill would have set up grants for universities to find ways to combat lionfish. Curbelo expanded the proposal to include nonprofit research efforts as eligible for the grants and allows the U.S. Commerce Department to coordinate efforts against lionfish.
Curbelo made the case for why the bill was needed.
“For decades, coastal communities along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico have faced a growing ecological and economic threat from lionfish,” Curbelo said. “As private entities continue to research new and innovative ways to combat this invasive species, government should allocate resources to address this major risk to South Florida’s marine fisheries, habitats, and eco-systems.”
“The invasive lionfish has wreaked havoc throughout the oceans along the Southeastern United States,” said Hastings. “Damage to reefs and marine life has detrimental effects on the economies of these areas. This bipartisan legislation will spur innovation and the development of technologies to help eradicate this invasive species, protecting both the ecosystems and economic livelihoods of the communities affected. I thank Congressman Curbelo for his leadership in this area and for reintroducing this legislation with me.”
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Natural Resources
Back in 2015, Clawson launched a proposal to ban the import of lionfish. Clawson rounded up some co-sponsors for that proposal including Curbelo, Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Ander Crenshaw, Mario Diaz-Balart, David Jolly and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.
