On Sunday, February 8 2015, 20 skilled, enthusiastic lionfish hunters braved high winds and choppy seas to compete in REEF’s Third Annual Winter Lionfish Derby held at the Postcard Inn Beach Resort and Marina at Holiday Isle. Three teams participated in this year’s derby and brought in a total of 99 lionfish during this sunrise to 5:00 pm event. Islamorada Dive Center took 1st place in the derby, bringing in a total of 86 lionfish. Team SFAEP That Fish Cray finished in 2nd place with 11 lionfish and Key Largo Drifters placed 3rd with 2 lionfish.
For the sixth year in a row, avid lionfish hunters on Green Turtle Cay set out at the crack of dawn on June 28th to participate in the world’s longest running lionfish derby. Conditions on the water could not have been better as the teams removed invasive lionfish from the Sea of Abaco on June 28th. Vying for more than $7,000 in cash prizes, 17 participating teams brought in 908 lionfish to the Green Turtle Club during the sunrise until 4:30 pm event. Numbers of lionfish caught and the sizes of fish landed were both down from last year.
At the break of dawn on September 13th, 79 skilled lionfish hunters set out to compete in the Fifth Annual Key Largo Lionfish Derby. Vying for more than $3,000 in cash prizes, 22 participating teams brought in 573 lionfish to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during this sunrise to 5:00 pm event. Team We’re No. 2 took 1st place for most lionfish with an impressive 154 lionfish.
In the summer of 2014, recreational divers in Florida and the Bahamas will once again assemble teams, scout out hundreds of sites, sharpen their spears, ready their nets, and hone their collecting skills to prepare for yet another REEF summer lionfish derby series. Their mission: remove lionfish. Their reward: more than $3,500 in cash prizes for bringing in lionfish and the knowledge that they are helping to save native fish populations.
At the break of dawn on July 19th, 56 ardent lionfish hunters set out to compete in the Third Annual Teeples Memorial Fort Lauderdale Lionfish Derby. The weather conditions were ideal, helping to make this derby one of the best yet. Vying for more than $3,500 in cash prizes, 14 participating teams brought in 557 lionfish to the 15th Street Fisheries dock during this sunrise to 5:00 pm event. This year’s catch broke the record for this tournament by a substantial 138 lionfish.
Last week, representatives from the Florida House and Senate took the first steps in banning the importation or aquaculture of invasive lionfish. Representative Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) and Senator Greg Evers (R- Pensacola) have filed HB 1069 and SB 1336 to address the devastation being caused by lionfish in Florida’s coastal waters. The bills will prohibit importation, aquaculture and sale of illegally imported lionfish and they authorized FWC to adopt a rule to that effect.
On December 14th, 2014, REEF staff and volunteers recorded the third successful pre-emptive removal of a non-native fish in south Florida coastal waters when they removed a mimic lemon peel surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) from waters under the Blue Heron Bridge in Palm Beach County.