FIRST EVER FORT LAUDERDALE LIONFISH DERBYBAGS 419 FISH!

7/3/2012

FIRST EVER FORT LAUDERDALE LIONFISH DERBYBAGS 419 FISH!

Fort Lauderdale, FL - Saturday, June 30th was a great day for lion hunters in Broward
County... that is lionfish hunters. Forty-eight dedicated divers, working from 12
boats, made great strides to raise public awareness about the problem and reduce
the number of lionfish from area reefs as they "bagged" 419 of the invasive species
during the first Lionfish Derby in Broward County. The event, hosted by Lauderdale
Marina and the 15th Street Fisheries was sponsored by REEF, a non-profit organization
whose mission is to provide information and education about oceanographic sciences.

"We are very pleased with the results of this Broward County event," said Lad Akin,
Director of Special Projects for Reef. "It is gratifying to see so many people getting
involved in helping eradicate these reef invaders."

Kelly Drum, Carlos Rives & Ted Drum, 15th Street Fisheries

Ted Drum, owner of the Lauderdale Marina and 15th Street Fisheries was enthusiastic
about the turnout for the event. "It was my grandson Clark's idea to get engaged
with this issue and we have been very pleased with the turnout. With more than
60 years in the boating community, we've never seen such a significant threat to
our ecosystem. Lauderdale Marina and the 15th Street Fisheries are very proud to
be involved and will continue with ongoing support of this worthy cause."

The Fort Lauderdale event, part of a three-part series that encompasses south Florida
from Palm Beach to the Keys, awarded more than $3,000 to winners in three categories:
largest, smallest and the greatest number. Team UMC (Underwater Marine Collectors)
brought in a remarkable 227 lionfish. Team Captain Brett Dewees was happy with their
success, even in spite of dealing with a nasty lionfish sting. "These lionfish are
killing everything on the reefs," he said. "We've been seeing fewer specimen fish
over the years and we wanted to be able to help do something about it. We were proud
to be a part of the event."

Team UMC (Underwater Marine Collectors)

The winner of the largest lionfish prize went to Chad Ruff of Coral Springs who
brought in a 411 mm (16.2") lionfish-caught in about 100' of water. Boat owner for
team "Spearfishing Critical," Frank Darden, said that he saw the event advertised
and knew he needed to get involved. "We've only been diving for about the past 10
years, but we have really seen an increase in the numbers of lionfish over that
time. This won't be our last Derby!"

The ultimate treat of the day came as Chef Lenny Judice of the 15th Street Fisheries
introduced the crowd to his signature lionfish ceviche. The delicate, yet firm,
snow-white meat took to the bold flavors and was an immediate crowd pleaser. Event
spectator, Michael Karcher or Miami, FL said, "I've never had lionfish before and
it is spectacular!"

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The Lionfish Derby Series is sponsored by: Reef, Divers Direct, Florida Sea Grant,
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Lauderdale Marina and Boston Whaler.
It was hosted by 15th Street Fisheries.

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15th Street Fisheries is a landmark restaurant located within Lauderdale Marina
on the Intracoastal Waterway near the 17th Street Causeway Bridge and Port Everglades
inlet. The restaurant, in its 34th year of continuous operation, was recently voted
"Best Waterfront Restaurant in South Florida" in a Sun-Sentinel readers' poll.
They are located at 1900 SE 15 Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Call 954-763-2777
for more information