Porto Seguro (BA) offers reward to fishermen for catching lionfish

The advance of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) along the coast of Bahia has led Porto Seguro to adopt a strategy for removing the animals from the sea that involves fishermen, researchers, environmental agencies, and different areas of the municipal administration. One of the measures is the payment of R$ 10 per specimen captured and delivered to the Z-22 fishermen's colony in the municipality.

Native to the Indo-Pacific region, the lionfish is an invasive species with no natural predators on the Brazilian coast, threatening the local ecosystem. The fish also poses a risk to humans: its spines inoculate a toxin that can cause pain, redness, fever, and, in more serious cases, convulsions.

In the far south of Bahia, concern takes on an additional dimension due to the diversity of marine habitats and the ecological importance of the region. Porto Seguro lies in an area of broader continental shelf, associated with the Royal Charlotte Banks and close to Abrolhos, with reef environments, rhodolith beds, and a wide variety of fish and invertebrates.

"The lionfish has a very high potential for predation, reproduction, and occupation of marine spaces. It exerts very significant pressure on native species," says oceanographer Martina Rossato, manager of the Recife de Fora Marine Natural Municipal Park.

According to Rossato, the sooner individuals are detected and removed, the greater the possibility of reducing the impacts of the invasion. The financial incentive is an emergency tool to mobilize fishermen, who know the region well. The capture also makes it possible to gather specimens for studies on the feeding habits, habitat, and establishment of the invasive species.

The initiative began to be structured following the first records of the species in the region at the end of 2025. In August, the first month the incentive was in operation, 442 lionfish were delivered to the project, according to the Municipal Secretary of the Environment. The animals were sent to the Federal University of Southern Bahia, where they undergo screening, biometrics, and other studies.

The number, however, does not represent the total quantity of lionfish removed from the Porto Seguro coastline. The fishermen operate at different points throughout the region and the specimens delivered came from distinct areas.

It is against this backdrop that the municipal government drafted the Municipal Action Plan for Combating the Lionfish, published in August. The document organizes actions related to monitoring, capture, research, training, communication, and coordination between public agencies and institutions.

The plan provides for a temporary program offering bonuses for the delivery of captured animals. The value of R$ 10 per specimen was defined at a meeting with public participation, according to the environmental department, and may be revised.

The municipality is also coordinating other actions with the departments of Environment, Fisheries, Tourism, and Health, as well as the university, the Z-22 Colony, diving operators, and environmental agencies.

In the Recife de Fora Marine Natural Municipal Park, a strictly protected conservation unit, monitoring has also been expanded. The first lionfish was recorded at the site on June 12. On September 10, the presence of a second individual was confirmed at a diving spot.

Capture within the park is restricted to trained and authorized personnel. Last week, professionals who work daily in the unit — such as guides, photographers, videographers, and wardens — received training in the use of equipment designed for the safe capture and containment of the animals.

The R$10 payment is considered temporary. The municipality intends to gradually reduce the incentive and structure a production chain for the processing, commercialization, and consumption of lionfish, following safety protocols.

"The idea is not to keep paying per individual," says Rossato. According to her, the goal is for the fish's economic value to help sustain long-term capture efforts.

The strategy is based on the assessment that it is not possible to eliminate the species on a regional scale, but seeks to maintain removal pressure, particularly in areas considered priority zones.

In 2025, before the first records in Porto Seguro, the municipality briefed fishermen and divers on how to identify lionfish, report sightings, and handle the animals safely.

The presence of the species also led to coordination with municipalities in the Extreme South of Bahia. The goal is to gather information on its distribution and effects on the region's marine environments.