As a scuba diver, I have speared and eaten many lionfish but not in St. Martin. The Nature Foundation is recommending that the invasive lionfish not be eaten or consumed based on a recently concluded study where flesh samples which were taken of larger lionfish caught in St. Maarten waters showed levels of the poisonous ciguatoxin which causes Ciguatera poisoning.

Over the last few years, I have speared many lionfish in St. Martin but left them for the sharks.

Please read this article before consuming lionfish in St. Martin.

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=93756482100