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Lionfish Challenge

Photo from eregulations.com

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the winners of the 2018 Lionfish Challenge.

Native to the Indo-Pacific and believed to have entered Florida waters from an aquarium release, lionfish are now established along the southeast coast of the U.S., Caribbean, and across the Gulf of Mexico. Due to its venomous spines, the invasive species has few predators and has had a hugely negative impact on native fish and reef habitats.

A record-setting nearly 30,000 lionfish — 28,260 to be exact — were removed from Florida waters during the 2018 Lionfish Challenge, which included recreational and commercial categories as well as a new tagged-lionfish component, rewarding participants with prizes up to $5,000 for removal of FWC-tagged lionfish.

“This is another commendable effort by Florida’s recreational and commercial divers to help control lionfish populations and remove the invasive species from our waters,” said FWC chairman Bo Rivard.

To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Lionfish.

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