Info 2025 Lionfish Invitational

[Cornbread O'Malley]

This was just my invite to the event in 2012/13(?) liveaboard for Flower Gardens/stetson. I was invited only because of the lionfish harvest PICTURES that I posted each week.

You received an invite based solely on your pics showing removal of lionfish. That's badass.

 

[Johnoly]

That's badass.

I don't know how it's run this year, but even though divers didn't pay a charter fee, there's alot of expenses. I think the fuel bill alone was about $8000 for the 3days, if @Wookie can correct me. It's a "working" dive trip and unless you are topside doing the data & sample numbers,, each diver should be putting 200-300 lionfish on the boat for the trip.

 

[sea_ledford]

each diver should be putting 200-300 lionfish on the boat for the trip.

I don't think there are that many lionfish at Flower Gardens, at least not at recreational depths. Rigs generally don't hold that many either.

I suspect max numbers would be in the 100-200 range for the most proficient.
In 2022, 3000 fish were removed. If there are 20 divers over 2 trips, that's only 75 fish each.