Thursday, March 28, 2013Media contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants you to become a member of the Lionfish Control Team during the month of April.
All you have to do is take a photo of yourself with your lionfish catch and post the photo on Twitter or Instagram with #FWCLionfish. The contest was announced Thursday on Twitter, during a live chat.
In return for your efforts, the FWC will send you an official Lionfish Control Team T-shirt.
Nonnative, invasive lionfish have infiltrated state waters and are negatively impacting Floridas reefs and wildlife, said Jessica McCawley, director of the FWCs Division of Marine Fisheries Management. These fish not only prey on native saltwater species, they also compete for food with economically important species such as grouper and snapper. Please help us control the lionfish population.
The contest began Thursday and will end April 30 or when 150 T-shirts have been given out.
Submitted photos must be your own. Photoshop® or other editing software must not be used, and the photo must not include inappropriate content. Photos should be recent and preferably taken in Florida. One T-shirt per household, please. Once the photos are reviewed by the FWC, photographers will be contacted to submit the original photo by email. The FWC may use the photos for educational purposes.
Learn more about lionfish at
MyFWC.com/Nonnatives; click on Marine Life.
