Matt Gaetz: “In the warm waters off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, the Carolinas, and my beloved Florida, a reef assassin…”

“In the warm waters off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, the Carolinas, and my beloved Florida, a reef assassin lurks. Lionfish are an invasive species, with no predators, huge appetites, and exploding populations. Just one female lionfish will release 10 million eggs during her lifetime. Each lionfish can eat 65 juvenile reef fish in one meal. NOAA ecologists call the lionfish one of the greatest threats of the century to reefs. Reefs support tourism, recreational fishing, commercial fishing, and our way of life. Lionfish threaten a multi-billion-dollar reef economy. To date, all efforts to eradicate the lionfish have failed. Bounty programs are uneconomical, and rodeos, while helpful, are unscalable. Today, I filed legislation to turn the tables on the lionfish. Our proposition is simple: Fishermen who slay 100 lionfish can earn one tag to fish red snapper, gag grouper, triggerfish, or amberjack whenever they want. Anyone who kills 100 lionfish has done their part to save hundreds, if not thousands, of coveted reef fish. The Reef Assassin Act costs no money and uses our natural resources to protect our natural resources. I encourage my colleagues to support the Reef Assassin Act. ____________________”