Florida's annual Lionfish Challenge offers rewards for removal of invasive species

Florida lionfish hunt underway

The annual hunt for lionfish off the coast of Florida is underway (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 10th annual lionfish challenge kicks off this week - an event that aims to encourage and reward recreational and commercial divers to remove lionfish from Florida waters.

According to the NOAA, lionfish are invasive species that threaten the well-being of coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. Lionfish are native to coral reefs in the tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The free-to-enter event has caught over one million lionfish since starting in 2014, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  The summer-long event starts Saturday and runs through Sept. 14.

Organizers hope a tiered prize system, depending on how many fish you catch or their combined weight, will encourage continued harvest throughout the summer.

Participants in the Lionfish Challenge have removed over 1 million lionfish from Florida waters since the program began in 2014.

(Patricia Mauldin / Facebook)

'HARVEST LIONFISH, WIN PRIZES:' FLORIDA'S LIONFISH CHALLENGE IS ON FOR AMATEURS AND PROS

Tiered prizes

• Tier 1- Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational category) or 50 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category): Dryfit tournament shirt and 2025 challenge coin.
• Tier 2- Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational category) or 150 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category): Neritic pole spear, gloves, and T-shirt.
• Tier 3- Harvest 150 lionfish (recreational category) or 300 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category): Zookeeper lionfish containment unit, Zookeeper heat pack, and dive knife.
• Tier 4- Harvest 300 lionfish (recreational category) or 600 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category): Akona Georgian dive bag.
• Tier 5- Harvest 600 lionfish (recreational category) or 900 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category): Cressi Leonardo dive computer.

MUGLA, TURKIYE - APRIL 19: A lionfish (Pterois volitans) is seen underwater at Asi Bay, located between Iztuzu and Sarigerme in Ortaca district of Mugla, Turkiye on April 19, 2024. Asi Bay is known for its underwater diversity and underwater caves, making it a main attraction for divers and underwater photographers.

(Tahsin Ceylan / Anadolu / Getty Images)

According to the FWC, those who reach tier one will also receive a challenge coin, which allows the harvester to keep one extra spiny lobster each day during the 2025 Sport Season (July 30 and 31). Coins from the previous year are invalid.

DIVERS REMOVE 31,773 VENOMOUS FISH FROM FLORIDA'S REEFS IN RECORD-BREAKING CHALLENGE

The NOAA says that lionfish spines produce a venomous sting that can last for days and cause extreme pain, sweating, respiratory distress, and even paralysis.

Once stripped of its venomous spines and cleaned and filleted like any other fish, the lionfish can make a delicious meal.