It’s a summer activity only a Floridian could love. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is excited to announce the 2023 Lionfish Challenge. The Lionfish Challenge is a free summer-long lionfish tournament open to recreational and commercial competitors of all ages around the state of Florida. Even though it’s the eighth year for the Lionfish Challenge,the goal remains the same: remove as many lionfish as we can in just four months.
Are you up for the Challenge?
Why lionfish?
Lionfish are an invasive species that have a potential negative impact on native wildlife and habitat. Although native to the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, lionfish can be found year-round in Florida waters and from North Carolina to South America. They were first reported off the coast of Florida in the mid-1980s. Since then, their population has boomed.
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Lionfish reproduce quickly, compete with native species for food and habitat and have no natural predators in the Gulf of Mexico. Rarely caught on hook-and-line, the most effective methods of removal are spearing and using a hand-held net. Care should be taken when spear fishing so that the spears do not impact and damage reefs.
Lionfish Challenge tournament details
The tournament will last from June 1 to October 1. Participants will compete in either the commercial or the recreational division with grand prizes to the top competitors in each division.
Prizes will be awarded in tiers as follows:
- Tier 1- Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational category) or 50 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
- Tier 2- Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational category) or 250 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
- Tier 3- Harvest 250 lionfish (recreational category) or 500 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
- Tier 4- Harvest 500 lionfish (recreational category) or 1,000 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
FWC Reef Rangers
FWC encourages divers, anglers and commercial harvesters to remove lionfish in Florida waters to limit negative impacts to native marine life and ecosystems. They even have a group of citizens dedicated to educating the public about the lionfish invasion. Reef Rangers interact with other fishers and divers and encourage lionfish removal and outreach efforts. Anyone can become a Reef Ranger by participating in an FWC program.
Tips for Lionfish Removal
