Organisers of next month’s highly anticipated lionfish tournament – which aims to reduce numbers of the invasive species in the country’s waters and earn the top-placed hunters thousands of dollars in prize money – have waived the EC$80 entrance fee.
Lionfish hunters can now enter the event taking place from November 18-20 for free by filling out a registration form and liability release.
Organisers say limited access to internet and ways to pay by credit card or electronically were preventing potential hunters from registering.
The two-day hunting competition will be followed by a festival on November 20. The events are being held in sync with the local Elkhorn Marine Conservancy and the California-based non-profit Lionfish University.
“We talked it over among our team,” said Jim Hart, of Lionfish University. “We aren’t here to make money. We’re here to help control the lionfish population. So we need as many people as we can get to enter the derby.”
“We hope that easing the burden for registering and removing the cost will get more hunters in the water,” added Martha Watkins-Gilkes, who arranged for the team of lionfish experts to come to Antigua to help stage the event.
“That’s our priority, and we want to have a successful event to show people how culling can work to protect the island’s reefs and introduce them to this amazing fish. You can have lionfish for dinner, then step out for the evening wearing lionfish jewellery or leather,” she added.
In addition to the lionfish hunting competition, the action-packed programme also includes a lionfish cooking competition, marine conservation youth poster contest, and lionfish jewellery workshop.
More than EC$34,000 in cash prizes will be awarded in total, comprising one of the largest purses of prizes that has ever been given in a tournament in Antigua. Prizes will be given for the most lionfish caught, as well as for the cooking and poster contests.
There will also be a series of mini-lectures on various marine conservation topics given by leading experts in the field. The exhibitions and prize-giving will take place on November 20 in Nelson’s Dockyard.
Those wishing to join the hunt who are unable to register on the website, can sign up and complete a liability release at Ava’s Watersports on the main road in English Harbour from 8am-4pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm Saturday. Call 776-0933 for more details.
Participants who have already registered will have their fees refunded.
An invasive species, lionfish can destroy native fish populations on coral reefs, leading to the reefs’ destruction. Their voracious appetite means they can quickly decimate populations of some species.
Visit https://antigualionfish.com/lionfish-derby-sign-up/ for more information on next month’s events or to register to take part.