Surveys of reef fishers at the main landing sites on the west (Pile Bay) and south (Oistins) coasts were conducted during the winter (survey 1: cooler water / pelagic fishing season) and the summer (Survey 2: warmer water / pelagic fishing off-season) throughout 2012 to determine baseline catch and effort data before the potential impacts of lionfish on the reef fisher catches. During these surveys, the fishing effort and catches of the main reef fishers (trap and spear fishers) were monitored over a one month period in order to assess species composition and size of individuals landed for the baseline dataset. For the first survey, nine trap fishers and seven spear fishers were monitored, while seven trap fishers and nine spear fishers were monitored during the second survey.

Surveys of fish size and abundance on ten reefs (3 deep and 7 shallow) located along the west and south coasts of Barbados were conducted every four months throughout 2012 to provide baseline information on the status of fish communities before the spread of lionfish, especially the abundance of key herbivores (parrotfishes and surgeonfishes).

Genetic identity and population structure (source: Sealy 2013; Oxenford and Valles 2014)
Lionfish were collected in Barbados from the first reported arrival (24 Nov, 2011) until September 2013. Lionfish populations were sampled from each coastline. All DNA extractions and amplifications were performed at Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies, while sequencing was performed by Molecular Cloning Laboratories (California, USA). All sequences aligned with those of red lionfish (Pterios volitans) confirming a single species lionfish invasion in Barbados to date. A total of six haplotypes were detected (i.e. H01, H02, H03, H04, H05 and H07) with two haplotypes being dominant: H01 found in 30.3% of the samples and H02 found in 65.7% of the samples.

In May of 2014, Barbados’ first lionfish derby was organised and held by the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU). A total of nine teams participated and removed 200+ of the invasive lionfish from local waters. Subsequent to 2014, annual derbies (REEF sanctioned events) organized by a private entity (Scott Clarke) were held in 2015 and 2016. The 2015 derby was a two day event which saw 11 teams participating to remove 800+ of the invasive lionfish from local waters. The 2016 derby saw a record 1003 fish being removed from reefs across the island. A total of 39 divers, utilising various tools (namely Hawai’ian slings and spearguns), spread across 10 teams contributed to the successful removal of the glut of fish. Apart from removal of fish, derbies also served as an excellent data collection event, allowing lengths, weights and in some cases sex to be recorded while also allowing for the collection of samples for genetic analysis.