The Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Festival is a premier event that allows divers to contribute to the preservation of native reef fish populations while competing for prize money. Founded by Reef Environmental Education Foundation, the festival has been running for 15 years and has become a significant initiative to control the invasive lionfish population.
Teams of divers can participate in the event, divided into two categories: Apex Predators and Reef Defenders. The former category offers greater prize money for competitive divers, while the latter provides more casual and accessible competition. The event aims to encourage responsible and eco-friendly hunting methods, teaching participants about lionfish ecology, safe handling techniques, and the importance of following federal and state fishing regulations.
The festival takes place from August 15 to 18... with a mandatory team captains meeting on August 15 to discuss strategies and best practices. Participants can hunt for lionfish from sunrise to sundown on Friday and Saturday, and all caught fish must be turned in to the scoring station on Sunday. Sunday's activities include team scoring, awards, and public games, demos, and raffles, "with REEF staff providing educational demonstrations and free lionfish ceviche samples." The event has a significant impact on the community... promoting environmental awareness and action while also providing a unique opportunity for participants to engage with the reef ecosystem.
With over $6,000 in prize money and an abundance of fun and educational activities, "the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Festival is an event not to be missed."
Divers can help preserve native reef fish populations while vying for prize money during the 15th annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby ⁘ Festival. Scheduled Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 15-18, the event is sponsored by Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Derby teams in two divisions will try to capture and remove as many non-native lionfish as possible. The Apex Predators division is designed with greater prize money for competitive divers, while Reef Defenders is a more casual division with less prize money but equally credible bragging rights.
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