Resource Search 1 | National Invasive Species Information Center

ZooKeeper.
The 2024 Winter Lionfish Throw Down (October 14 - December 31, 2024) is a Lionfish hunting tournament held throughout the State of Florida waters. Our goal is to encourage the culling of Lionfish through the winter months to mitigate the damage done by Lionfish all year long. After the FWC’s Summer Challenge the focus on culling Lionfish declines and our goal is to keep up the hunting momentum throughout the whole year. The Throw Down will mirror many of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Lionfish Challenge rules and is being done with their full support.

2023
Agricultural & Applied Economics Association. Choices Magazine.
Aquatic invasive species threaten U.S. freshwater bodies throughout the country. One of the most prevalent and prevailing of these is hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillate), which spans from Florida all the way up to Maine, and as far west as California. The state of Florida alone spent $125 million from 2008 – 2015 to manage aquatic invasive species, $66 million of which went toward managing hydrilla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is estimated to spend $15 million annually on managing hydrilla. This submerged weed is primarily managed through cost effective, safe aquatic herbicides and more costly mechanical harvesting. Due to the prevalence of hydrilla, understanding stakeholder perceptions regarding its management is critical to its successful control.

This infographic displays Florida’s stakeholder perceptions around aquatic herbicide and mechanical harvesting usage, which can be utilized as a model for other states as well. Data analysis of 3,000 survey responses concluded that a majority of stakeholders are concerned about both the use of aquatic herbicides and mechanical harvesting.

September 1, 2025
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The annual Lionfish Challenge is an incentive program that rewards harvesters for their lionfish removals. With a tiered system, everybody can be a winner. The participant who harvests the most lionfish will be crowned the Lionfish King/Queen. The Challenge is open now and will run through September 14. You can register for the 2025 Lionfish Challenge and find more information at FWCReefRangers.com/Lionfish-Challenge. Questions regarding the challenge can be sent to Lionfish@MyFWC.com.