Lionfish in the Atlantic - Aquarists to blame?

[justinl]

well first of all, where did you get 99% from? US EPA states "Over two-thirds of recent non-native species introductions in marine and coastal areas are likely due to ship-borne vectors, and ballast water transport and discharge is the most universal and ubiquitous of these". I do agree that this is a severe problem and is far from addressed despite ballast fill/discharge regulations.

lions associate with reefs and i have a hard time seeing ports sustaining a good enough environment to sustain a them. so i remain dubious concerning the lions-by-ballast theory. im much more inclined to blame it on ignorance of well meaning people... actions with the best intentions applied carelessly can often lead to the most devastating results. and "i didn't know" isn't a good enough excuse to me.