Thursday, August 9, 2018

Florida Lionfish Challenge 2018 – 1 month to go – Aug. 8 update

Nikkie Cox found this tagged lionfish off Franklin County. Photo courtesy of Nikkie Cox.

The Lionfish Challenge has less than a month to go (last day to submit is Labor Day, Sept. 3), but there is still plenty of time to earn prizes or find an FWC-tagged lionfish, worth up to $5,000. To learn more about where our tagged lionfish can be found, keep reading.

Numbers Update

As of this week:

  • 678 people have registered.
  • 137 people have submitted lionfish (119 recreational, 18 commercial).
  • 14,602 lionfish removed.
  • 54 tagged lionfish removed (six in the Atlantic and 48 in the Gulf).

Recent Tagged Lionfish Winners

  • Aug. 4, Franklin County: Grayson Shepard of Apalachicola, GoPro Hero5 Camera.
  • July 20, Bay County: Marcus Dabai of Panama City, $500.

Tagged Lionfish

Our harvesters are doing great, but there are still tagged lionfish to be found on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Find your tagged lionfish (worth up to $5,000) today off one of these counties: Bay, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pinellas, St. Johns and Volusia.

map

Upcoming Raffle Drawing

  • Final drawing is Aug. 22.
  • All qualified participants (submission of 25 lionfish or 25 pounds for commercial) will be entered into drawing. Prizes include 4-foot JBL pole spear from Florida Underwater Sports, Dive Rite surface marker tube, Lionator pole spear prize pack, Enriched Air Diver Class from Narked Scuba, Color-Dive Lenses from Customatic Optics, Lion Lifts from Toothless Life and YETI tumblers.

Background

The Lionfish Challenge rewards lionfish harvesters with prizes for their lionfish removals, tagged or not. The tagged lionfish component is new this year and includes cash prizes up to $5,000. Lionfish were tagged at 50 public artificial reefs across the state between the depths of 80-120 feet.

Sign up and learn more today by visiting MyFWC.com/Lionfish.

Links

Support Florida lionfish control programs by purchasing our new Rep Your Water lionfish hats at Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Media contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-404-6100 or Amanda.Nalley@MyFWC.com