Lionfish Challenge runs May 24 to September 2 in Florida waters
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
A favorite yearly conservation event is about to kick off, the FWC's ninth-annual Lionfish Challenge, a free, summer-long lionfish tournament open to recreational and commercial anglers of all ages around the state of Florida.
The goal is to remove as many lionfish as possible in just three months. Since the Lionfish Challenge began in 2016, more than 195,000 lionfish have been removed from Florida's ocean waters. Are you up for the Challenge?
The tournament timeline is May 24 through September 2, 2024. 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 listed below.
Read the tournament rules and register for the Challenge at FWCReefRangers.com/Lionfish-Challenge.
Keep up with the challenge on Facebook at Facebook.com/FWCReefRangers.
Tier 1
Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational category)
or 50 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
Tier 2
Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational category)
or 100 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
Tier 3
Harvest 150 lionfish (recreational category)
or 200 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
Tier 4
Harvest 300 lionfish (recreational category)
or 400 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).
Tier 5
Harvest 600 lionfish (recreational category)
or 800 pounds of lionfish (commercial category).