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

Lionfish are an invasive species that have a potential negative impact on native wildlife and habitat. FWC encourages divers, anglers and commercial harvesters to remove lionfish in Florida waters to limit negative impacts to native marine life and ecosystems.

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

Learn more about FWC’s agency initiatives for invasive lionfish in their 2019 Action Items Summary and their plan for future management of lionfish in their 2018 Lionfish Summit Report or Summary.

photo curtesy of Michael Gabler, wikimedia commons