Record-breaking amount of lionfish harvested during FWC’s challenge

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lionfish
Two lionfish are shown in an aquarium at the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center in Dania Beach, Florida, in 2013. The invasive species is considered menacing to native wildlife. SUZETTE LABOY / AP

A record-breaking amount of invasive lionfish were harvested during the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 2023 Lionfish Challenge.

According to FWC, participants harvested 30,494 invasive lionfish during the challenge, more than any amount of lionfish collected in previous tournaments.

Removing this species from the Southwest Florida waters is crucial because it helps protect the local and indigenous marine resources.

The tournament champion and commercial champion will be announced next week.

ZooKeeper sponsored the event.

Click here to find out more information about the invasive lionfish from FWC.

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