Emerald Coast Open (ECO)
The Emerald Coast Open (ECO) is the largest lionfish tournament in the world and the second largest spearfishing event! The tournament was created to help educate the public on the impacts of lionfish and promote the removal of this invasive species. Lionfish have very few natural predators in their invaded range and will eat almost anything they can fit in their mouth! This makes them detrimental to native marine life. To remove them from the waters, divers spear the lionfish, but be careful! Their spines are venomous. Despite their venomous spines, lionfish are delicious and can be cooked any way you like.
In 2024, ECO had 144 participants and removed 11,844 lionfish throughout the tournament!
“By eating more lionfish, we’re helping protect ocean life, and events like the Emerald Coast Open, the world’s largest lionfish tournament, make a big impact too! This two-day event continues to remove 14,000 lionfish!”
What is a lionfish?
A lionfish is a venomous marine fish, native to the Indo-Pacific. Due to their ornate
appearance, lionfish are popular in the aquarium trade. Lionfish were released into the
wild, either accidentally or intentionally. Their population rapidly expanded throughout the
early 2000s and they were first detected in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Since then the
Destin-Fort Walton Beach area has become the epicenter of the lionfish invasion.
appearance, lionfish are popular in the aquarium trade. Lionfish were released into the
wild, either accidentally or intentionally. Their population rapidly expanded throughout the
early 2000s and they were first detected in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Since then the
Destin-Fort Walton Beach area has become the epicenter of the lionfish invasion.
Why are lionfish bad?
Lionfish are extremely detrimental to our waters because of a couple reasons.
- They populate quickly. Lionfish mature at a young age, and can lay
thousands of eggs every couple of days throughout the duration of their lives.
That’s a lot of baby lionfish! - They eat almost anything. Lionfish aren’t picky and will eat almost any
animal they can fit in their mouths. - They have very few natural predators. In the places lionfish have
invaded, there are very few natural predators that can help control lionfish
populations. - Lionfish are lazy eaters. Although lionfish are sometimes caught using a
rod and reel, spearfishing is the most efficient way to remove this species.
How do you get rid of them?
Because lionfish are lazy eaters, they aren’t easily caught with a rod and reel.
This means that divers have to spearfish them. Luckily, because they are lazy and
don’t associate divers as a predator, they usually don’t swim far away as divers are
spearing them. However, catching lionfish is a laborious process. Unfortunately,
this, along with their high reproductive rates, make getting rid of lionfish a
challenge.
This means that divers have to spearfish them. Luckily, because they are lazy and
don’t associate divers as a predator, they usually don’t swim far away as divers are
spearing them. However, catching lionfish is a laborious process. Unfortunately,
this, along with their high reproductive rates, make getting rid of lionfish a
challenge.
Can you eat lionfish?
YES! Lionfish are venomous, NOT poisonous. This means that as long as you avoid
being poked by the spines, lionfish are safe to handle and consume. Removing the
spines can reduce your chances, but even if you do get poked, the application of
heat often helps reduce the pain. Lionfish are a white flaky fish and can be
cooked (or not cooked) any way you like! Ceviche, sushi, blackened, fried… The
options are limitless. Ask for lionfish next time you dine in Destin-Fort Walton
Beach! The best time to try lionfish is during ECO Restaurant Week leading up to
the competition!
being poked by the spines, lionfish are safe to handle and consume. Removing the
spines can reduce your chances, but even if you do get poked, the application of
heat often helps reduce the pain. Lionfish are a white flaky fish and can be
cooked (or not cooked) any way you like! Ceviche, sushi, blackened, fried… The
options are limitless. Ask for lionfish next time you dine in Destin-Fort Walton
Beach! The best time to try lionfish is during ECO Restaurant Week leading up to
the competition!
Learn More
To learn more about the tournament and get involved, whether you’re a sponsor, participant, or volunteer, check out the Emerald Coast Open website.