May 15, 2025 • 5 mins
Lionfish are an invasive species in Florida. They arrived in our waters as early as the 1980s and efforts to control the population are ongoing. Lionfish eat just about every creature they see in the sea, and can devastate ecosystems. Destin is holding a Lionfish Festival this weekend (17-18) to encourage people to catch the weird-looking fish and make a meal out of it. We speak with Tony Hart, Lionfish Outreach Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Florida has more
than its share of invasive species, including pythons, iguanas, cane toads,
and giant snails. One you may not be aware of
unless you spend a lot of time in water or
fishing is the lionfish. It's been invading Florida waters for decades.
(00:20):
We've got Tony Hart with us. He's the lionfish Outreach
coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. There
is an event going on to promote lionfish control in
our state's waters. It's happening this weekend in Destined. We're
going to talk about that and about the lionfish situation
in general.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Tony Hart, welcome, Thank you Gordon. Well.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
First of all, for those who are not familiar, where
are lionfish originally from? How did they get to Florida
in the first place?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
So the lionfish originating the end upefic there typically an
aquarium fish, and what we believe happened back in about
eighty five, nineteen eighty five Antonia of each Basically somebody
had one as a pat in an aquarium, couldn't keep
it anymore, and basically thought they were doing the right
(01:09):
thing by releasing it back into the ocean. That's kind
of basically how they got introduced here in Florida.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Now they're pretty much in many different parts of the state.
It appears since some of those releases occurred in South Florida,
and I assume that they're in many waters around the state.
Tell us the dangers that lionfish present to the native
aquatic environment.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The lionfish can decimate a core reef here in Florida.
They eat. They have a voracious appsite, so really anything
that will fit in their mouths they will eat. So
you're talking group of snapper, lobster, shrimp, but also your
reef cleaning fish, your rasses and things like that, your
(01:53):
gradesers that keep the reefs clean themselves.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Now it's coming Saturday, May seventeenth is Lionfish Removal and
Awareness d in Florida, and there's a lionfish festival going
on Saturday and Sunday at Harbor Walk Village in Dustin. That's,
of course, along the Emerald Coast on the northwest coast
of the state, between Pensacola and Panama City, a number
of events going on. One of the events tied to
(02:18):
this is what's built as the world's largest lionfish tournament.
Tell us how that works. It's obviously part of your
efforts to control the species.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yes, sir, so. The Amra Coast Open is the world's
largest lion fist tournament. They do a pre tournament from
February until I think this weekend leading up to the
tournament itself. So far, they've had over six thousand line
fist turned in in the pre tournament already. Usually the
numbers are looking in the twenty thirty thousand range. As
(02:48):
far as lionfish, a lot of folks travel to Dustin
to do that. Coinciding with the Airmo Coast Open is
the Lion Fishes basiically called l RAD Lionfish Removal. To say,
it's a huge lionfish festival. F WC will be there
with lots of booth. I'll be there talking about lionfish
education and outreach. That's all the other programs that FWC
(03:11):
does to combat lionfish here in Florida.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
One of your initiatives involves getting chefs to create dishes
with lionfish. I don't know if you've had the opportunity
to eat any of those or tried to do any
cooking with lionfish yourself. If you have, I would be curious.
I would be curious. You know what it tastes like.
I mean, you know, on a you know, related to
(03:35):
grouper or anything else you might catch.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I would say, I've seen it serve many ways. I've
seen it as a dip pan fried CV is really good.
Fish tacos obviously is really good. It's lionfish is a
very white, flaky meat. I would say, pre aching to
say like black sea bass or something like that, so
(03:57):
very delicto fish. But yeah, we do promote. There will
be a lot of folks done. A lot of restaurants
participate during the MRA Coast Open and Linfish Festival, so
they'll have lionfish tastings while at event as well.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
The overall picture, since this Emerald Coast Open, and since
all these different efforts to promote lionfish removal and awareness,
where would you say the state is? Are we making progress?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
The problem that you have with lionfish is that so
a healthy female, I'll give you some background. A healthy
female can reproduce every two to four days. Said healthy
female can lay anywhere from fifteen to thirty thousand eggs
a pop. I'm not a mathematician, but you know, anybody
else the street can kind of do that math and
(04:43):
realize that they can really reproduce in great numbers, really
really fast. Our goal mat now is to I don't
know that we'll ever eradicate lionfish from our waters. Our
goal is to try and maintain it and stop it
from growing and getting worse. And what it is.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day is Saturday, May seventeenth, and
the Lionfish Festival is going on Saturday and Sunday at
Harbor Walk Village in Destin. And I believe the times
on that are ten am to five pm Central, if
that's correct.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes, it is alright, a very.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Good best of success with that, and best of success
and ongoing efforts to get this invasive species in hand.
Tony Hart, the Lionfish Outreach coordinator for the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Thank you guys for having me
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Florida has more
than its share of invasive species, including pythons, iguanas, cane toads,
and giant snails. One you may not be aware of
unless you spend a lot of time in water or
fishing is the lionfish. It's been invading Florida waters for decades.
(00:20):
We've got Tony Hart with us. He's the lionfish Outreach
coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. There
is an event going on to promote lionfish control in
our state's waters. It's happening this weekend in Destined. We're
going to talk about that and about the lionfish situation
in general.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Tony Hart, welcome, Thank you Gordon. Well.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
First of all, for those who are not familiar, where
are lionfish originally from? How did they get to Florida
in the first place?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
So the lionfish originating the end upefic there typically an
aquarium fish, and what we believe happened back in about
eighty five, nineteen eighty five Antonia of each Basically somebody
had one as a pat in an aquarium, couldn't keep
it anymore, and basically thought they were doing the right
(01:09):
thing by releasing it back into the ocean. That's kind
of basically how they got introduced here in Florida.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Now they're pretty much in many different parts of the state.
It appears since some of those releases occurred in South Florida,
and I assume that they're in many waters around the state.
Tell us the dangers that lionfish present to the native
aquatic environment.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
The lionfish can decimate a core reef here in Florida.
They eat. They have a voracious appsite, so really anything
that will fit in their mouths they will eat. So
you're talking group of snapper, lobster, shrimp, but also your
reef cleaning fish, your rasses and things like that, your
(01:53):
gradesers that keep the reefs clean themselves.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Now it's coming Saturday, May seventeenth is Lionfish Removal and
Awareness d in Florida, and there's a lionfish festival going
on Saturday and Sunday at Harbor Walk Village in Dustin. That's,
of course, along the Emerald Coast on the northwest coast
of the state, between Pensacola and Panama City, a number
of events going on. One of the events tied to
(02:18):
this is what's built as the world's largest lionfish tournament.
Tell us how that works. It's obviously part of your
efforts to control the species.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yes, sir, so. The Amra Coast Open is the world's
largest lion fist tournament. They do a pre tournament from
February until I think this weekend leading up to the
tournament itself. So far, they've had over six thousand line
fist turned in in the pre tournament already. Usually the
numbers are looking in the twenty thirty thousand range. As
(02:48):
far as lionfish, a lot of folks travel to Dustin
to do that. Coinciding with the Airmo Coast Open is
the Lion Fishes basiically called l RAD Lionfish Removal. To say,
it's a huge lionfish festival. F WC will be there
with lots of booth. I'll be there talking about lionfish
education and outreach. That's all the other programs that FWC
(03:11):
does to combat lionfish here in Florida.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
One of your initiatives involves getting chefs to create dishes
with lionfish. I don't know if you've had the opportunity
to eat any of those or tried to do any
cooking with lionfish yourself. If you have, I would be curious.
I would be curious. You know what it tastes like.
I mean, you know, on a you know, related to
(03:35):
grouper or anything else you might catch.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I would say, I've seen it serve many ways. I've
seen it as a dip pan fried CV is really good.
Fish tacos obviously is really good. It's lionfish is a
very white, flaky meat. I would say, pre aching to
say like black sea bass or something like that, so
(03:57):
very delicto fish. But yeah, we do promote. There will
be a lot of folks done. A lot of restaurants
participate during the MRA Coast Open and Linfish Festival, so
they'll have lionfish tastings while at event as well.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
The overall picture, since this Emerald Coast Open, and since
all these different efforts to promote lionfish removal and awareness,
where would you say the state is? Are we making progress?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
The problem that you have with lionfish is that so
a healthy female, I'll give you some background. A healthy
female can reproduce every two to four days. Said healthy
female can lay anywhere from fifteen to thirty thousand eggs
a pop. I'm not a mathematician, but you know, anybody
else the street can kind of do that math and
(04:43):
realize that they can really reproduce in great numbers, really
really fast. Our goal mat now is to I don't
know that we'll ever eradicate lionfish from our waters. Our
goal is to try and maintain it and stop it
from growing and getting worse. And what it is.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day is Saturday, May seventeenth, and
the Lionfish Festival is going on Saturday and Sunday at
Harbor Walk Village in Destin. And I believe the times
on that are ten am to five pm Central, if
that's correct.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes, it is alright, a very.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Good best of success with that, and best of success
and ongoing efforts to get this invasive species in hand.
Tony Hart, the Lionfish Outreach coordinator for the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Thank you very much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Thank you guys for having me
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!