when you're out there hunting the lionfish.

A feeling of accomplishment

because you're actually making a difference,

a feeling of competitiveness because of the fact

that, in my case, I'm trying to be Florida's Lionfish King.

Lionfish are a non-native species to the Atlantic,

the Gulf and the Caribbean.

Because they reproduce at such a high rate

and have zero predators,

they are currently taking over the waters here.

Lionfish eat basically everything that we eat,

which includes crabs, lobsters, grouper, flounder,

anything, you name it, they're game.

The scary part is, is that we don't know how many

of them are out there, and it's probably a lot bigger

than we ever will know because of the fact

that we always dive the public spots

or the private fishermen spots,

but, I mean, the ocean is huge.

(water splashing)

The Lionfish Challenge is a contest set up

for those of us that are making a difference to go out

and kill as many lionfish as we can

over the next four months.

(upbeat electronic music)

Not every person is a big fan of spearfishing,

but the problem that we have with the lionfish,

these things need to be eliminated, every one of them,

and whether you're a big fan of it or not,

this is just not about spearfishing.

It's about taking care of our ecosystem

and making sure that everything stays balanced.

(instrumental reggae music)

Being crowned the Lionfish King

will be a huge accomplishment, but it's not just about that.

The next weekend, I'll probably go out

and do the same thing again

even though the competition is over.

(instrumental reggae music)