10th Annual Lionfish Festival Scheduled in Destin

From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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For the 10th straight year, the annual Lionfish Festival continues its part in the removal of the invasive fish from Florida waters.

This year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission event is scheduled May 17-18 in Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The two-day outdoor festival at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and HarborWalk Village in Destin is free, open to the public and will include conservation and art booths, live music, an interactive kid’s zone and the world’s largest lionfish tournament, the Emerald Coast Open.

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.

Tournament Details

The Emerald Coast Open includes categories for most lionfish, largest lionfish and smallest lionfish with nearly $100,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. For official tournament rules and registration instructions, visit EmeraldCoastOpen.com.

Lionfish Restaurant Week

Sample lionfish at one of Destin–Fort Walton Beach’s featured restaurants during the Emerald Coast Open and Lionfish Restaurant Week. Local chefs will highlight lionfish in unique dishes in the week leading up to the event to help bring awareness to the lionfish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico:

• May 10 – The Boathouse Landing - Valparaiso Harbor
• May 11 – La Paz Restaurante & Cantina
• May 12 – Crab Trap Destin
• May 13 – Jasmine Thai
• May 14 – Beach Walk Cafe
• May 15 – Harbor Docks
• May 16 – The Harbor Tavern
• May 18 – AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar

More Info

To increase public awareness about lionfish invasion and encourage removal efforts, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission signed a resolution creating Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day in February 2015. Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day is a statewide day celebrated the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year.

Lionfish Challenge

The 2024 Lionfish Challenge is approaching quickly. This summer-long tournament is open to everyone and is free to enter. Participants in the Lionfish Challenge have removed over 1 million lionfish from Florida waters since the program began in 2014. Are you up for the Challenge? Visit FWCReefRangers.com  to register for the Lionfish Challenge. The Challenge begins May 24.