These three words, spoken by internationally renowned lionfish hunter and expert, Alex Fogg, sum up this invasive species that has impacted reef systems and nave fish populations throughout the Caribbean and now even the Mediterranean Sea.
“Foggy” to his friends and fans is a Florida based marine biologist who co-founded the largest lionfish derby in the United States – The Emerald Coast Open in Destin Florida. He is now bringing his experience and expertise to Antigua & Barbuda as the co-director of the first Antigua Open Lionfish Tournament, November 18-20, with cash prizes totaling more than $12,000 USD (34,000 EC) for the most, biggest and smallest lionfish.
During a reconnaissance trip to Antigua in 2019, with a group of marine biologists and experts from Lionfish University sponsored by the Mill Reef Club, Alex removed 45 lionfish in 25 minutes, confirming to many that lionfish are indeed flourishing in Antigua & Barbuda’s waters and should be harvested.
Alex envisioned a lionfish tournament in Antigua that would not only reduce lionfish populations, but shed light on this huge problem for locals, divers, commercial fishermen, chefs, restaurateurs, arsts, and others who can help control it.
Together with local conservationist Martha Watkins Gilkes, and with support from the Ministry of Tourism, Mill Reef Club, Elite Island Resorts and numerous island groups, Alex and the “A-Team,” as Martha calls them, are returning to the island to host the first lionfish derby and festival in the region with substantial cash prizes.
Combined with the tournament is a festival free to the community to be held on November 20th at Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbor from 1-5 pm, featuring lionfish jewelry making hosted by experts from Belize, a local Chefs’ Lionfish Cookoff – lionfish may be bad but they taste great! – a children’s poster contest, lectures by the A-Team’s marine biologists and ocean activists, and the awarding of the cash prizes at 4:30 pm for the winning hunters, chefs, and children’s posters.
For more information on the tournament and festival, and to register teams to hunt, go to hps://antigualionfish.com. The entry fee for the tournament is $30 USD (80 EC) per person.
The Antigua Open Lionfish Tournament is made possible by the generous support of the Ministry of Tourism and the Honorable Minister Max Fernandez, the Mill Reef Club as a platinum sponsor, Elite Island Resorts as a silver sponsor, and other island stakeholders including: National Parks Authority, Fisheries, Coast Guard, local media, dive shops, fishermen, and others. For further information, please contact: [email protected].
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One response to “‘Lionfish — Are — Bad’”
Fesval, Planum, internaonally, Angua
Are you serious?
So many spelling errors in one little article, and some repeated several times..