FY 25/26 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Marine Fisheries Management…

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has awarded a contract for the 2026 Lionfish Challenge, a marine conservation initiative designed to incentivize lionfish removal. The contract, identified as C6A3F5, is valued at $3,511.75 and covers the procurement of 275 commemorative hats at $12.77 each for participants who successfully remove significant quantities of invasive lionfish during the program's designated period from May 24 to September 14, 2026.

The contract, effective from January 5, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2026, targets both recreational and commercial marine participants. Specifically, individuals in the recreational division must harvest 50 lionfish, while commercial participants must remove 100 pounds of lionfish to qualify for the special hat award. This approach aims to encourage continued marine ecosystem management by providing a tangible recognition of participants' conservation efforts in controlling the invasive lionfish population in Florida's marine environments.