2026 FWC Lionfish Challenge kicks off, featuring prizes for participants

LEE COUNTY, Fla. —

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is launching the 2026 Lionfish Challenge Friday, aiming to reduce the population of invasive lionfish in Florida waters.

Lionfish are invasive, and FWC wants to remove as many as possible.

Participants in the challenge can compete for prizes in categories such as Lionfish King, Lionfish Queen, Commercial Champion, Junior Harvester, and Veteran Champion.

You can find more on what those categories entail, plus more on the challenge itself, here.

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