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/ aF1. <br /> INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br /> BOARD MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Joseph A. Baird, <br /> County Administrator / <br /> THROUGH: Christopher R. Mora, P.E. l/►^"' <br /> Public Works Director <br /> �� <br /> THROUGH: James Gray i <br /> Coastal Engineer <br /> FROM: Kendra L. Cope, M.S. <br /> Environmental Specialist <br /> SUBJECT: 2016 Sebastian Lionfish Fest <br /> Presentation by Kendra Cope <br /> DATE: December 23, 2015 <br /> DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS <br /> The red lionfish is an invasive species native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Following their <br /> introduction and subsequent population increases in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean <br /> Sea, the lionfish population is now growing exponentially, causing negative impacts on <br /> indigenous marine ecosystems and fish,and indirectly economic impacts across the state. <br /> As a result, several Florida organizations, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife <br /> Conservation Commission (FWC) are sponsoring lionfish fishing tournaments and <br /> educational events throughout the State. <br /> During the past few months the topic of hosting a lionfish fishing tournament and public <br /> outreach event in Indian River County was discussed by the Beach and Shore Preservation <br /> Advisory Committee(Beach Committee). As a result,staff has been gathering information <br /> about organizing a tournament, commitments from educational organizations to present <br /> during a community lionfish cook-off,volunteers to help run the event, confirmation from <br /> Captain Hiram's to host the event on the State's official lionfish removal and awareness <br /> day, May 14, 2016, and commitment from the Sebastian River Area Chamber of <br /> Commerce to act as the fiduciary agent for the event. <br /> The event will consist of two major functions. <br /> • Fishing tournament. It will be a Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) <br /> sanctioned tournament which will standardize how the tournament is conducted <br /> and data is collected for FWC. <br /> K:\Lionfish Fest\Lionfish Fest Agenda Item I-I2-16_draft2.docx <br /> 239 <br />