The 2021 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival will take place on September 9-12. This 12th annual event is sponsored by Ocean Reef Conservation Association (ORCA), a non-profit dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment, fish, wildlife, and marine related areas including water quality and habitat. Since 2009, ORCA has supported the efforts of several non-profits including Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, The Everglades Foundation, Audubon of Florida, Coral Restoration Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association and more. Education is an important part of ORCA's mission. The organization annually awards college scholarships to graduating seniors in the Florida Keys who are pursuing marine and environmental studies. Since 2010, the Scholarship Program has awarded over $500,000 to the future stewards of our environment.
The 2021 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival is made possible thanks to supporters like ORCA. During the event, teams of 2-4 people will compete for more than $6,000 in cash prizes, which will be awarded to teams who bring in the smallest, largest, and most lionfish. The event allows for two full days of fishing from sunrise to sunset on Friday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Sept. 11. The derby will culminate with a family-friendly festival at picturesque Postcard Inn Resort & Marina from 11am-3pm on Sunday, Sept. 12. The festival is open to the public and will include lionfish scoring, fillet and dissection demonstrations, lionfish tastings, lionfish games and crafts, raffle prizes, and other activities and products from 30 environmentally-minded vendors.
We are so thankful to ORCA's generous financial support to help us combat the lionfish invasion and protect our marine habitats. Click here for more information about the 2021 REEF Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival.