FWC: 36,000 invasive Lion fish removed during Florida's 2026 challenge

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) reported its newest record of lionfish removal, with over 36,000 lionfish captured from Florida's waters. This number was achieved through the FWC's 2026 Lionfish Challenge, an annual competition that runs all summer long.What is the Lionfish Challenge?According to the FWC, the Lionfish Challenge began as an initiative to promote and reward the removal of lionfish from native waters. This year, the competition started on May. 22, 2026 and ended on Sept. 14, 2026.This year's winners and catchesA total of 533 participants registered in the tournament. This year, the organization expanded its range of categories for the competition. This year's six categories and winners were:Lionfish King—Hunter Ledbetter of Monroe County, removed a total of 1,541 lionfish.Lionfish Queen — Helen Rodney of Broward County, harvested a total of 1,488 lionfish.Commercial Champion — David Garrett of Volusia County removed 1,136 pounds of lionfish.Junior Champion