Each week here at Maho Karl Pytlik from the CORE Foundation has been doing presentations about an growing and concerning issue for us in the Virgin Islands: Lionfish. If you're not familiar with the problem we're facing I'd highly recommend watching his two-part series here, or coming to one of his presentations at Maho (next presentation on Thursday March 10th).
Below is a message from Karl:
Just wanted to check and give a few updates from CORE on St John.
We have had a busy week as far as St John goes; 11 captures
1-Yawzi Point
3-Salt Pond Bay
2-Little Maho
1-Francis bay
1-Big Maho
1-Chocolate Hole
1-Waterlemon Cay
1-Haulover
Total caught in February 18. There have been other sightings last week that were not marked and still need to be searched.
We also had 4 presentations;
2/20 aboard charter catamaran Kekoa CORE partnered with EAST (Environmental Association St Thomas) to give public awareness while folks enjoyed a whale watch EAST had set-up as one of their yearly fundraisers. I took time to speak wi
th all the guests on the boat about the lionfish and CORE as well as show them some caught specimens preserved in jars. We did get to see whales, a humpback stayed with the boat for almost an hour!
2/23/11, Maho Bay Camps. Had a great turnout for Public awareness slide presentation.
2/26/11. Estate Concordia. Public Awareness slide presentation
2/27/11, Whale Watch with EAST. This time Jaimie Irving, one of our volunteers as well as general manager of VIERS camp on St John went to
give a talk to the guests.
Upcoming presentations:
3/6/11- Whale Watch Kekoa
3/10/11- Maho Bay Camps
CORE will begin diver training again for the month of March. I will send out an email as soon as we have the dates booked. I will makes sure to have some take place earlier in the day for those who have evening shifts and have not been able to
attend.
We still have T-Shirts and Tank Tops if anyone would like to purchase one and support our cause.
Thank you again to everyone and their hard work!
Karl Pytlik
St John Coordinator
The CORE Foundation
340-201-2342
Top photo from Haulover Bay on 2/27, bottom photo from Salt Pond on 2/21
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