Lionfish Challenge ongoing through September 2
FWC photo.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
The 2024 Lionfish Challenge, held annually since 2016 to combat the threat posed by invasive lionfish, is running through September 2, 2024. This statewide program allows the public to engage in conservation by hunting lionfish to win prizes and contribute to protecting Florida’s natural resources.
Participants can register at FWCReefRangers.com and choose to join either the recreational or commercial category.
Over one million lionfish have been removed from Florida’s oceans through the Lionfish Challenge. This challenge features a tiered prize system, rewarding divers based on the number of lionfish they harvest. Participants who reach Tier 1 by harvesting 25 lionfish in the recreational category (or 50 pounds of lionfish in the commercial category) will receive a commemorative 2024 Lionfish Challenge Coin. Traditionally, Tier 1 participants keep one additional spiny lobster per day during the Lobster Mini-Season as a prize. However, this year, Tier 1 participants will get to keep two additional lobsters per day.
For more information about the 2024 Lionfish Challenge, visit myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/challenge.