At its June meeting in Sarasota, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a new and exciting opportunity that will encourage divers to remove invasive lionfish by allowing them …
If you want to dive in the northeastern Bahamas there is really only one man to see, Brendal Stevens. There are other dive operators but Brendal’s Dive Center stands above all the rest and the …
Killing for Conservation? Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has been leading the fight against this …
If you are in the eastern Bahamas and can not make it to the Bimini Beach Bash, Bonfire & Tournament please head over to the Green Turtle Club for the 6th Annual Lionfish Derby, June 27-28th. The Green …
This is Part I of a 3-part report by Capt. Ned Stone, Director of Programs for Guy Harvey Outpost, following his participation in the Green Turtle Club’s 5th Annual Lionfish Derby. Filed by Capt. …
Ft. Lauderdale, FL — August 30, 2012— Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts announced today that Blackly Lodge is the newest member of the its Expedition Properties Portfolio. The popular bonefishing lodge on …
Today is the official “First Day of Summer”!! Nothing epitomizes a dream summer vacation more than this photo of the beautiful Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina, the very first Guy Harvey …
Get ready for Taylor Hicks playing at the Green Turtle Club Resort and Marina Friday night the 1st of June! Seating is limited, and preference will be given to our dinner guests for that evening. Tickets …
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Travel Tips![](mailto:?subject=Take 10 Lionfish, Get an Extra Lobster During Sport Season&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/lionfish-being-netted_359x479.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2791 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/lionfish-being-netted_359x479.jpg?w=225" alt="Lionfish-Being-Netted_359x479" width="225" height="300" /></a>At its June meeting in Sarasota, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a new and exciting opportunity that will encourage divers to remove invasive lionfish by allowing them to take one extra spiny lobster each day during the two-day sport season this summer (July 29-30) that they also harvest 10 lionfish.
In addition, people can take a photo of their lionfish and lobster catch during the two-day season and post it on Facebook.com/LionfishReefRangers to get a “Be the Predator” T-shirt. One lucky photo entrant will also win a lifetime saltwater fishing license via a drawing held shortly after the sport season.
“The FWC operates in a culture of innovation. Opportunities like this are a great way to get divers who are already in the water accustomed to removing lionfish,” said Commissioner Brian Yablonski. “Our hope is that once lobster divers realize how easy it is to remove lionfish, they will continue to do so throughout the regular lobster season and beyond.”
Lionfish are invasive species that have a potential negative impact on Florida’s native wildlife and habitat. With no predators or other mechanisms such as disease or parasites keeping the lionfish population under control in Florida at this time, harvest by divers is the primary means of lionfish removal.
For the 2015 spiny lobster sport season only, divers will be allowed a single spiny lobster over the bag limit per dayfor each day that they also harvest 10 or more lionfish. Lionfish must be kept as proof of harvest while on the water. When off the water, a photo of harvesters with their 10 lionfish must be kept to document eligibility for harvesting an extra lobster. Lionfish must be harvested the same day and prior to taking the additional lobster. All other rules, including no spearfishing zones, apply.
The two-day spiny lobster recreational sport season (also known as mini-season) falls on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July each year before the Aug. 6 opening of the regular season. During this two-day season, the regular bag limit is six spiny lobster in state and federal waters of Biscayne National Park waters and off Monroe County, and 12 spiny lobster elsewhere. There is no bag limit for lionfish; harvesters can take as many as they want.
If the program is successful at encouraging lionfish removal, it could be continued in future years.
For <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNjI1LjQ2NDc0NDExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDYyNS40NjQ3NDQxMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NDk0MDg5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&101&&&http://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/2015/june/23/agenda/" target="_blank">more information</a>, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then the “Agenda.” For information about <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNjI1LjQ2NDc0NDExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDYyNS40NjQ3NDQxMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NDk0MDg5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&102&&&http://www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lobster/" target="_blank">recreational spiny lobster</a>, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational” and “Lobster.”
Help the FWC by <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNjI1LjQ2NDc0NDExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDYyNS40NjQ3NDQxMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NDk0MDg5JmVtYWlsaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9bGVvY0BtYXJpbmFtZ210LmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&103&&&http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/" target="_blank">reporting all lionfish catches</a> and sightings via the Report Florida Lionfish app or at MyFWC.com/Lionfish.
This article appears courtesy of <a href="http://www.guyharveymagazine.com">Guy Harvey Magazine</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/take-10-lionfish-get-an-extra-lobster-during-sport-season/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Brendal’s Dive Center, A Guy Harvey Outfitter & Green Turtle Cay’s Reef Sharks&body=If you want to dive in the northeastern Bahamas there is really only one man to see, Brendal Stevens. There are other dive operators but <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/adventures/diving.html">Brendal's Dive Center</a> stands above all the rest and the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">Green Turtle Club </a>gets you right on top of some of the best and most exciting dives including a variety of big animals.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/123.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2157 size-large" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/123.jpg?w=660" alt="123" width="660" height="489" /></a>If you want to get certified to SCUBA dive Brendal can teach you from square one or handle your check out dives for PADI, NAUI, SSI or SDI. In 2006 the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism awarded Brendal with it's Cacique Award for Sustainable Tourism. This is the Bahamian "Oscar!" If you are ready for some big animals Brendal can put you with the "Silver King" tarpon, giant grouper, the island's name sake Green Turtles or those camera hogs with the big grins, Sharks! Nurse sharks are seen on many of Brendal's dives. If you want to see the "Sexy Stars" of the show, the Caribbean Reef Sharks then one of his Shark Observation Dives is the way to go. Shark Week may be coming to a close but our big animal "Stars" are available year round. Don't miss the show, call the Outpost Reservations Desk to find out more at (800) 513-5257. <a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/brendals-dec-5-2011-839.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-2158" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/brendals-dec-5-2011-839.jpg?w=660" alt="Photo: Brendal's Dive Center & Water Sports, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas" width="660" height="495" /></a>Photo: Brendal's Dive Center & Water Sports, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/brendals-dive-center-a-guy-harvey-outfitter-green-turtle-cays-reef-sharks/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Killing for Conservation!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2068" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/green-turtle-lionfish-haul-2014.jpg?w=225" alt="Lionfish Derbies Work, 908 Dead Lionfish Cannot All Be Wrong!" width="225" height="300" /></a> Killing for Conservation?Lionfish are incredibly fertile and have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> (REEF) has been leading the fight against this Indo-Pacific invader and after six years of Lionfish Derbies at Green Turtle Cay the evidence is clear: Lionfish Derbies Work! Lionfish now range from Brazil to North Carolina and beyond. They can live in fresh water too! The 908 Lionfish killed in this one day event was fewer than in previous years even with more divers and better weather. AND those fish that were killed this year were smaller than in previous years; another good sign. Lionfish Derbies will not send the fish back to the Pacific; they can however help local communities keep the population in check.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2071" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/credit-ellie-splain.jpg?w=300" alt="Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain" width="300" height="200" /></a>Three Contestants for the Smallest Lionfish Caught. Photo Credit: Ellie Splain Click Image to Enlarge<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>, a <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> Expedition Lodge hosted the event. For six years, REEF scientists have conducted a Lionfish Census before and after each event to assess the impacts of the Derbies. REEF estimates that had these 908 demons been allowed to roam Abaco waters for another year they would have consumed between 700,000 and 2.2 MILLION! Native prey fish.Congratulations and Thanks to REEF & to The Green Turtle Club for executing a great event for an important conservation mission!For more information on <a href="http://www.reef.org/">Reef Environmental Education Foundation</a> and other <a href="http://www.REEF.org/lionfish">Lionfish Derbies</a>.For More information on <a title="The Green Turtle Club" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/overview.html">The Green Turtle Club</a>For More information on <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/index.php">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/killing-for-conservation/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=WANTED DEAD or Alive, LIONFISH!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/reef-derbies-2014.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2053" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/reef-derbies-2014.jpg?w=300" alt="Reef Derbies 2014" width="300" height="300" /></a>
If you are in the eastern Bahamas and can not make it to the Bimini Beach Bash, Bonfire & Tournament please head over to the Green Turtle Club for the 6th Annual Lionfish Derby, June 27-28th. The Green Turtle Club is original host to REEF's first Lionfish Derby. We always need more divers and diners to make those pesky Lionfish disappear. To make your reservations call: 800-513-5257 or reservations@guyharveyoutpost.com, http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/ https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wanted-dead-or-alive-lionfish/){kind=link}
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