Threat and opportunity: the lionfish in the Southern Caribbean Coast
The lionfish is an invasive species that is damaging the coral reefs along Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast. Local fishermen hold lionfish fishing tournaments to try to reduce the population.
How much do you know about artisanal fishing in the Southern Caribbean? Do you know about the problems they have with lionfish? This invasive species has created a big problem for people who fish in that region, because it attacks the species on which marine ecosystem and the fishing economy depend. However, the communities have generated their own responses.
Arellys created this story with a grant from the Latin American Solutions Journalism Fund, an initiative of El Colectivo 506. The grant was made possible by a donation from the Costa Rican Fishing Federation (FECOP) for solutions journalism with editorial independence on community fishing issues. FECOP supports the initiative as part of its “Participatory Fishing” project, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica. The story was originally published on JMProductions’ YouTube channel and co-published by Limón TV in its program Limón Hoy La Revista on June 5, 2026, and republished by El Colectivo 506.
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