Antalya hosts lionfish hunting competition to combat invasive species

The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality organized the 7th Lionfish Hunting and Tasting Event at Finike Gökliman to protect the Mediterranean's ecological balance and raise awareness about invasive species. The event was held in collaboration with the Mediterranean Marine Products Research, Production and Training Institute, the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Finike Fisheries Cooperative.

Nine teams participated in the competition, diving for three hours to catch a total of 117 lionfish weighing 16.438 kilograms. The Mavikent Team, consisting of Osman Öncel and Mustafa Demir, won both major categories: 'Most Lionfish Caught' with 48 fish and 'Largest Lionfish Caught' with a specimen measuring 31.4 cm. The winners received a 30,000 TL prize. Additionally, the Harphoons Men Team received 15,000 TL for catching the smallest fish at 7 cm.

Following the competition, a tasting event was held to demonstrate to the public that lionfish are edible. Officials noted that interest in these awareness-raising events increases annually as part of efforts to protect marine biodiversity.