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4h ago

Florida Lionfish Challenge Nets Record 36,187 Fish

FWC says organized removal efforts reduce pressure on native reef species.

Image
A lionfish swims near a reef. The invasive fish can compete with native species for food and habitat. (SBG)
Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific and are now established in the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. (SBG)
LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 19: A lionfish swims in a tank at Artisanal Foods on February 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Overview

  • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 533 registered participants logged 1,468 dive trips that removed 36,187 invasive lionfish in the 2026 statewide challenge.
  • Individual and category winners included Lionfish King Hunter Ledbetter with 1,541 fish, Lionfish Queen Helen Rodney with 1,488 fish, Commercial Champion David Garrett with 1,136 pounds, and Junior Champion Meagan Huffman with 185 fish.
  • Dive Pros in Pensacola was the top checkpoint, collecting more than 5,000 lionfish tails, showing how local collection points concentrate effort and keep tally of removals.
  • FWC stresses that lionfish are nonnative predators from the Indo-Pacific that reproduce rapidly, compete with local species for food and habitat, and face few predators in Florida waters.
  • The agency presented the tournament as part of a wider strategy that uses volunteer events, commercial harvesting and its Reef Rangers outreach to scale removals and support reef recovery and local fisheries.