Utila 
Lionfish Derby and Cook Off!
Friday April 29 is the day for the first Utila Lionfish Derby! For this first derby, teams are only through dive shops- contact your dive shop or BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association) for more information.
Sunday May 1stat Chepes Public Beach is the Utila Cook Off for the captured Lionfish! Lionfish are safe to eat and tasty- the venom is in the spine, not the flesh and cooking destroys residual toxins. Care must be taken in preparing the the fish, as the spines can have a powerful sting, but guidance will be on hand to show newcomers how to safely prepare these fish.
Lionfish are a highly invasive species which means they were introduced to this area (the Caribbean) AND have harmful impacts on the native species. In simple terms- Lionfish can destroy the local fish populations on a reef, and don’t have any substantial predators to keep their numbers in check.
For more information on this invasive species, see the US Aquatic Invasive Species webpage.
Formore information on this event, contact Monica Perez at Monica.Perez@bicautila.org