With years of lionfish removal and education under its belt and many adjustments due to Covid-19, the 10th Annual Lionfish Round-Up in Martin County is back on track for its lionfish education and removal mission. The live event will take place on Saturday, June 19th, at the Blue Pointe Bar & Grill located at Jupiter Pointe Marina.
“There have been several changes to this year’s event,” says April Price, the event’s coordinator. “We are pleased to announce that our 2021 event will benefit Friends of Our Florida Reefs (FOFR), a nonprofit citizen support organization for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coral Reef Conversation Program. FOFR is dedicated to conserving and protecting over 100 miles of vital coral reefs in Southeast Florida between Miami-Dade and Martin Counties. Also, new this year we will conduct a weeklong round-up with an online reporting system as well as a live event on June 19th at the beautiful Blue Pointe Bar & Grill. There we will have our traditional fish tally, music, raffles, auction, food, libations, and fun.”
“Friends of Our Florida Reefs is excited to be hosting and benefiting from the Round-Up this year,” says Melissa Sathe, President of the organization. “This Lionfish effort not only fits our mission of protecting Florida’s Coral Reef, but it also covers the northernmost area. FOFR has been interested in becoming more involved on the northern end of Florida’s Coral Reef. When the opportunity to benefit from the Lionfish Round-Up was presented to us we were thrilled to be able to contribute to outreach and education in Martin and Palm Beach Counties. We hope by adding weeklong diving opportunities and remote check-in, that we will attract divers from the entire region and strengthen our base in Martin and Palm Beach counties.” In the first 9 years, this event is credited with removing nearly 3,400 lionfish from our coastal waters.
Divers will be eligible for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and best of all the reward of knowing that they are contributing to the health of our reef systems. Participants will be required to attend one of our “Diver Briefing” meetings via Zoom. Diver registration will remain open until the final Zoom meeting. Not a diver? You can assist by becoming a sponsor or just come out and enjoy the party on June 19th. Folks can see the fish that the divers bring, have some tasty samples, visit with our vendors, enjoy music and libations poolside and if you are feeling lucky, participate in our raffle and silent auction.
For more information, contact April Price, (772) 285-1646, or visit; www.McLionfish.com