Sebastian Lionfish Fest and Tasting a Success
The third annual Sebastian Lionfish Fest was scheduled for May 20, 2018, with the tournament to occur throughout the entire weekend. A full week of rainy weather had everyone nervous and caused the tournament portion of the event to be moved to June 30-July1, however, a crowd of 500 came out to Captain Hiram’s on May 20 for the popular lionfish cook-off and tasting, and all in attendance enjoyed music, raffles, lionfish trivia, and dining on six delicious lionfish dishes.
Participates of the cook-off included:
- The Wave at Costa d’ Este, Blackened Lionfish
- Colbalt, a traditional Lionfish Ceviche
- Blackfins at Hiram’s, Blackened Lionfish BLT sliders
- Old Fish House, Lionfish Chowder
- Yellow Dog Café, Lionfish Spring Rolls
- Chelsea’s On Cardinal, Blackened Lionfish Mini Tacos
The Wave was the cook-off winner for the second consecutive year, followed by Captain Hiram’s. Both chefs have made a pledge to serve lionfish on their menu when the fish is available.
Combined, the six chefs prepared over 1,330 lionfish.
Weigh-in for the tournament portion of the event took place on Sunday, July 1, at Captain Hiram’s.
Coastal Connections, a 501(3)c, was the tournament beneficiary. The non-profit’s mission is to protect coastal habitats through education and connecting people to the environment.
More event photos may be viewed on the Sebastian Lionfish Fest Facebook Page.
Capt. Don’s TC Lionfish Safari divers remove 357 lionfish
Captain Don’s Treasure Coast Lionfish Safari took place June 9-10, 2018, at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Fort Pierce. Six dive teams and one individual diver successfully removed 357 lionfish from waters in Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties.
Divers competed for $2,700 in cash prizes given for three categories: most, largest, and smallest. Taking home the prize for most fish with 91 fish, was Team Dawg Gone. Taking home the prize for largest fish, with a lionfish measuring 16.14-inches long, was Team Frapper. The smallest fish caught was 4.4-inches, and Team Frapper also took home that prize. There were also prizes for second- and third-place in each category.
Lionfish, originally from the Indo-Pacific region, are not native to the Atlantic Ocean and their invasion of Florida waters and beyond, likely were dumped from an aquarium. Lionfish are very invasive, eat native fish species, and begin reproducing earlier and faster than native Atlantic species. A lionfish begins reproducing at about nine-months of age, and females lay 30,000-40,000 eggs every three-to-four days. In comparison, native Atlantic fish species take up to three years to begin reproducing. The focus of the Treasure Coast Lionfish Safari is on educating the public about the invasion and encouraging people to eat lionfish.
Attendees of the Treasure Coast Lionfish Safari learned how to filet lionfish; carefully noting which venomous spines to avoid. They tasted various lionfish dishes cooked up on-site, and sipped Lionfish Pale Ale and other beverages as they supported the vendors and participated in community art projects. Children helped create a mural out of mardi gras beads recovered from the ocean.
Multiple organizations are involved in hosting this event. Live lionfish were on display from Sea-Grant, and more in-depth educational information provided from FWC, The Manatee Center, One Florida Foundation, Stella Maris Environmental Research, and the lead organization, Marine Cleanup Initiative, Inc.
The Treasure Coast Lionfish Safari is a fun, family-friendly event which takes place the second weekend in June to coincide with World Ocean Day. Mark your calendars for next year!
Martin County Lionfish Round-Up results
Mother Nature cooperated just enough for Sea-Life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc. (SHIP), to host its eighth annual Martin County Lionfish Round-Up on June 2, 2018.
“This was our fourth year at Jupiter Pointe Marina and although we didn’t break any records we, had 22 divers remove 288 lionfish from our local waters,” said Kathy FitzPatrick, Martin County’s Coastal Engineer. “Seas were calm, however, cold water, in some cases 58-to 60-degrees, and poor visibility hampered efforts and shut out two of our experienced teams.”
Team ProWeb brought in 99 lionfish to take home the $1,000 award for most lionfish by a team. Also taking a $1,000 award for the most lionfish was Rachel McGinnis, who brought in 97 fish. Rachel also won another $500 for the smallest fish measuring 5.875-inches, and her partner, John Dickinson, took second-place in three categories—most, largest and smallest, bringing home checks worth $750. Keith Spring from Team CSA took first-place for the largest fish, which measured 15.625-inches, and second-place for the most lionfish by a team, a total of 20 fish, bringing their winnings to $750.
Round-up organizers thank all participants and sponsors who supported the event. Proceeds from the event are earmarked for the deployment of the Kerry Dillon Tugboat Reef in July off the Treasure Coast.
Fundraising efforts continue for the new reef, which celebrate Kerry Dillon’s legacy, are ongoing. For more information, contact April Price at (772) 285-1646, visit www.SinkOurShip.org, or follow Sea-Life Habitat Improvement Project on Facebook.
RESULTS
First-Place
Most Lionfish by a Team: Team ProWeb / 99 fish
Most Lionfish by an Individual: Rachel McGinnis / 97 fish
Largest Lionfish: Keith Spring / 15.625-inches
Smallest Lionfish: Rachel McGinnis / 5.875-inches
2nd Place
Most Lionfish by a Team: Team CSA / 20 fish
Most Lionfish by an Individual: John Dickinson / 53 fish
Largest Lionfish: John Dickinson / 14.8125-inches
Smallest Lionfish: John Dickinson / 6.25-inches
3rd Place
Most Lionfish by an individual: Todd Schoppe / 11 fish
Largest Lionfish: Jan Garrison / 14.75-inches
Smallest Lionfish: Emily Pepperman / 7.5-inches
Sea-Life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 public charity and is dedicated to deploying a large military type ship for an Artificial Reef and the enhancement to our artificial reef systems on the Treasure Coast of Florida.
