Lionfish Challenge 2024

Lionfish Challenge

Goal

• To encourage and reward recreational and commercial divers to remove lionfish from Florida waters.

Timeline 

• May 24, 2022 to September 2, 2024

Overview

• Statewide program
• Recreational and commercial participant categories
• Checkpoints located statewide for harvest submission
• Tiered prize system to encourage continued harvest

How to Register

• All participants required to register at FWCReefRangers.com
• Participants may only qualify for one category (recreational or commercial).
  • Participants with an active Saltwater Products License and commercial lionfish sales within the last year must register for the commercial category.

How to Submit Your Catch

Instructions for Commercial Divers:

• After harvesting your lionfish, sell them to a licensed wholesale dealer and get a copy of your trip ticket verifying the commercial sale.
• After obtaining your trip ticket, complete a Commercial Trip Ticket Submission here
  • Trip ticket submission is completed through an online form on our Reef Rangers website (similar to the form you filled out when registering for the Challenge)

Instructions for Recreational Divers:

• After harvesting your lionfish, remove tails leaving a bit of meat attached and place in a plastic sandwich bag(s)
• Label bag(s) with harvester name, phone number, date of harvest and number of tails
• Bring tails and a tail verification form to a local Checkpoint for verification of harvest
  • The Checkpoint will count your tails, sign your verification form, and return the form to you.
  • Checkpoints will keep the tails for our records.
  • Checkpoint locations and verification forms can be found on our website: FWCReefRangers.com
• After verifying your tails at a Checkpoint, you may complete a Recreational Tail Submission here.
  • Tail submission is completed through an online form on our website (similar to the form you filled out when registering for the Challenge).

 Rewards

Prizes will be awarded in a tiered fashion- the more lionfish you submit, the more prizes you receive! The requirements for each tier are as follows (Note- more information on prizes will be announced later).

• Tier 1- Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational category) or 50 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category)
• Tier 2- Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational category) or 100 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category)
• Tier 3- Harvest 150 lionfish (recreational category) or 200 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category)
• Tier 4- Harvest 300 lionfish (recreational category) or 400 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category)
• Tier 5- Harvest 600 lionfish (recreational category) or 800 lbs. of lionfish (commercial category)

Resource-based Incentives:

Those who reach Tier 1 will be awarded a commemorative 2024 Lionfish Challenge Coin. This coin allows the harvester to retain 2 extra spiny lobsters each day during the 2024 Sport Season (July 14*, 25 and 24, 2024).

• Harvester must have 2024 commemorative coin in possession to harvest and possess extra spiny lobster.
• Only 1 coin may be used per harvester.
• Coins from previous years are not eligible for the 2024 Sport Season.
• See Executive Orders 24-08 and 24-08 Amendment 1 for more information.

Raffle Prizes:

Harvesters who reach Tier 1 before the raffle drawing date are automatically entered into the raffles.

• Harvesters can only win one raffle prize during the 2024 Lionfish Challenge.
• Raffle prizes will be announced as items are donated
• Raffle drawing dates:
  • June 28th
  • July 26th
  • August 23rd
  • September 3rd

*The July 14, 2024, Sport Season date is for Florida resident recreational saltwater license holders and recreational license-exempt Florida residents only. See Executive Order 24-13 for more information.