21-05-2025
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.
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'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.
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