Okaloosa County's Lionfish Tournament removes over 20,000 invasive species
OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The annual Emerald Coast Open and Lionfish Festival in Destin-Fort Walton Beach successfully removed more than 20,000 invasive lionfish.
According to a news release, the annual event has officially removed over 100,000 invasive fish since 2019.
Utilizing and inspired by the catch, the festival team created plenty of lion-fish inspired dishes, music, and informational booths for the public for this 2025 event.
This was a two-day tournament, including a pre-tournament, where divers from across the country came to participate. The lionfish harvested by divers were measured and weighed behind AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar before heading to the Lionfish Festival hosted by HarborWalk Village.
ZooWorld Zoological Park welcomes rare aardwolf pups after 40 years
'This event has brought a lot of awareness to the invasive lionfish species and created a festive atmosphere for the enjoyment of our visitors and residents, while fostering prosperity for our local businesses,' Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon said.
The divers for this event competed to win nearly $175,000 in cash and gear prizes for categories like smallest lionfish, largest lionfish and most lionfish caught.
'While this event continues to flourish, the opposite is happening for this invasive species,' Natural Resources Chief Alex Fogg explained.
The lionfish are an invasive species where hook and line fishing is ineffective. They have few known predators in the Gulf, so events like this with divers armed with spears are more productive.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Junior Lifeguard Program returns to South Walton
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Every summer, the South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program makes its return to teach lifeguarding skills to young recruits. For Summer 2025, the program will begin on Thursday with approximately 200 participants aged 9 to 16 years old. According to a news release, SWFD Beach Safety staff will train four groups in skills such as open water swimming, CPR and first aid, conducting water rescues, rip current identification, drowning prevention, beach warning flag comprehension, and more. Firefighters work together to control structure fire in Walton County 'Juniors fits the mold on why we matter for this community and shows how far we have come in creating longevity for ourselves in 20 seasons of operations,' SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan said. The program creates a pipeline for participating Juniors to become professional lifeguards once they turn 17. Further information and photos will be released once the program is underway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Celebrate the reunion of families in Bay County
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – While dependency courtrooms have seen a fair share of highs and lows, on Friday, June 6, Bay County courtroom 'S-2' only saw highs. Parents, once deemed unfit by the court, were granted reunification with their children. 'It means the world. It's very rare. We celebrate reunification. Usually, we celebrate adoptions, which is fantastic in itself. But see, in this full circle moment for families, from the time the families were sheltered to the time they were unified, it's really powerful,' Florida Assistant Regional Counsel Megan McKeeby said. Each of the required case plans parents must complete is complex, unique, and difficult in their own way. Rural community of Alford benefits from innovative grant system 'Each case plan is designed to remedy the reasons why the children came into care. It can be anything from substance misuse, mental health, domestic violence, or it can be a combination of those things. They put in a lot of work. As I tell most people, I couldn't complete a case plan if I had to do one,' McKeeby said. Some parents who were previously granted reunification in November and have been doing well were granted termination of supervision. Unfortunately, the stigma remains for many parents who struggle with substance abuse, trauma, or other extenuating factors that led them to be in dependency court. However, Friday's celebration was a display of compassion, understanding, and ultimately triumph. 'The perspective matters because the obstacles these families face with the wrong perspective, that pulls them in the wrong direction. But with the right perspective, it can be a positive change, and it can be a force for good, and it can turn an otherwise difficult, challenging moment into an opportunity to be better, to do better, and to be the parent that they've been called to be. And so these types of events, these types of celebrations for reunification are worth our time,' 14th Judicial Circuit Judge Dustin Stephenson said. Judge Stephenson said he runs his courtroom looking to the positive, and encourages families that celebrations like Friday's are in their future. Panama City Commissioner Janice Lucas presented those in attendance with a proclamation solidifying June as National Family Reunification Month. The event was the first of its kind for Bay County. And it was possibly overdue for all of the caseworkers, judges, community partners, and families who play a pivotal role in the process. Judge Stephenson said Bay County is in dire need of foster parents who can step up, even temporarily, while a parent is going through the reunification process. He says many Bay County children have had to be relocated to Central or South Florida due to the lack of foster parents in our area. To learn more about becoming a foster parent, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Mentor honored for his big commitment to youth empowerment
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida celebrated a volunteer who has gone above and beyond in fulfilling the organization's mission of empowering youth in Bay County. The '2025 Virginia Thomas Big of the Year Award' in Bay County recognizes a mentor who exemplifies extraordinary commitment, compassion, and service to the youth in the community. The non-profit organization named Gage Proctor as this year's recipient. Proctor has been a mentor or 'Big Brother' with the organization since 2021. Over the past three and a half years, Proctor has helped his mentee, or 'Little Brother,' Khayman, academically and socially. Proctor was surprised and humbled by the honor. He said this is by far the easiest award he's ever earned. 'This was an easy award to win because I just get to hang out with him [Khayman] and it's fun. And it's a good time. It's always been a good time,' said Proctor. Khayman's family called Proctor 'one in a million.' The Virginia Thomas Big of the Year Award is named in honor of longtime community advocate, Virginia Thomas, who moved to the Panama City area in 1965 and quickly immersed herself in service. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida is in need of more mentors for their program. To learn more about becoming a 'Big,' click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
