The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the 2024 Lionfish Challenge, a summer-long lionfish tournament open to recreational and commercial competitors across Florida. Since its inception in 2016, the challenge has led to the removal of over 195,000 lionfish.
The event will run from May 24 to September 2. Participants can compete in either the commercial or recreational division, with grand prizes awarded to top competitors in each category. The prize structure is tiered based on the number of lionfish harvested:
- Tier 1: Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational) or 50 pounds of lionfish (commercial).
- Tier 2: Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational) or 100 pounds of lionfish (commercial).
- Tier 3: Harvest 150 lionfish (recreational) or 200 pounds of lionfish (commercial).
- Tier 4: Harvest 300 lionfish (recreational) or 400 pounds of lionfish (commercial).
- Tier 5: Harvest 600 lionfish (recreational) or 800 pounds of lionfish (commercial).
For full tournament rules and registration details, participants are encouraged to visit FWCreefrangers.com/lionfish-challenge. Updates on the challenge can be followed on Facebook at Facebook.com/fwcreefrangers.