Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 298 is my conversation with Captain Tony Young of Forever Young Charters in Islamorada, Florida, who specializes in spearfishing and lionfish removal. Tony works daily to protect Florida Keys reefs from one of the most destructive invasive species in marine history. We talk about how lionfish went from popular aquarium pets to ecological nightmares, why these venomous predators have no natural enemies on Florida reefs, and the staggering numbers he removes on a single dive.
Listen now: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
Tony Young is the captain of Forever Young Charters, based in Islamorada, Florida, right behind the Square Grouper restaurant. He runs spearfishing charters with a focus on lionfish removal and reef conservation, and he brings unusual perspective to the problem because he once bred clownfish and kept lionfish in his own marine aquariums.
The working theory is that lionfish were introduced through the aquarium trade when owners released unwanted pets into Florida's saltwater. Tony explains they make excellent, hand-feedable pets, but when owners moved or no longer wanted them, many released them into the ocean, similar to how pythons were introduced to the Everglades.
Lionfish have no natural predators on Florida reefs and eat huge quantities of juvenile reef fish, so their population grows unchecked and reduces the native fish that reefs depend on. Their venomous spines protect them from predators that never evolved to deal with them, which is why removal by divers is the main control.
According to Tony, on a good day he and his clients can remove 50 to 100 lionfish from a single dive site. Some Keys reefs are loaded with them, and every fish speared represents dozens or hundreds of juvenile reef fish that now have a better chance to survive.
Yes. Once the venomous spines are handled properly, the meat is white, flaky, delicious, and perfectly safe, and many Keys restaurants now serve it. The spines deliver a sting often described as roughly ten times worse than a wasp sting but rarely life-threatening when proper handling techniques are followed.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 298 with Tony Young is available on Megaphone, Spotify, YouTube, and the Tom Rowland Podcast feed. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I wanted Tony on the show because he is living the solution to a problem most people only read about. He did not come to lionfish as a crusader. He came to them as an aquarium hobbyist who understood exactly how beautiful and how destructive they are. What he has built with Forever Young Charters turns paying clients into conservation advocates, and that is a model I find genuinely smart. I wanted listeners to understand how complex invasive-species management really is.
Press play in the player above to hear it.
Tony's history breeding clownfish and keeping lionfish gives him rare insight into how the invasion started. He connects his old hobby to the crisis on the reef today. Hear the full story in the episode.
Lionfish eat voraciously while nothing eats them, and Tony explains what that imbalance does to native reef fish populations over time. Listen to that section of the conversation.
Tony shares what a typical dive yields and how the effort grew from something nobody cared about into tournaments, bounty programs, and a Keys-wide movement, with lionfish now on restaurant menus. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Complete eradication is not realistic, but Tony has seen noticeably more juvenile fish on reefs that get cleared consistently. He explains his long-term management philosophy. Worth hearing in full.
Listen to the full conversation: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
This conversation with Tony opened my eyes to how complex invasive-species management really is. When someone removes 50 to 100 fish in a single dive and that is just holding the line, you understand the scale of the challenge.
What I respect most is that Tony turns clients into advocates. People leave his charters understanding why the reefs matter. Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 298 on Megaphone or Spotify.
Tony Young · Forever Young Charters · Islamorada, Florida · Florida Keys · Square Grouper Restaurant · Derek de Young · Tom Rowland (host)
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Tony Young is the captain of Forever Young Charters in Islamorada, Florida, where he runs spearfishing charters focused on lionfish removal and reef conservation. With a background breeding clownfish and keeping marine aquariums, he brings firsthand understanding of how the lionfish invasion began. Every charter combines spearfishing with education about invasive species and the health of Florida Keys reef ecosystems.
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