Labor Day Is Last Day To Participate In Lionfish Challenge

WFSU | By Sascha Cordner

Published August 31, 2018 at 9:00 AM EDT

Jason Blitzer with his Lionfish Challenge submission.

Labor Day is the last day to participate in the Lionfish Challenge.

Lionfish harvesters have until Monday to participate in a tournament aimed at ridding the state of the invasive species. Lionfish have no natural predators and have a negative impact on native wildlife.

So far, more than 14,600 have been removed as part of the Lionfish Challenge.

This year, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials added a “tagged lionfish” element. That means any lionfish caught with a tag at 50 reefs across the state could be eligible for a cash prize.

Tagged Lionfish can still be found in 12 counties, including Bay, Franklin, and Okaloosa. For more information, visit the FWC’s website.

Meanwhile, the public can still catch lionfish, even after the challenge ends.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner .