2023 St. Croix Lionfish Derby

2023 St. Croix Lionfish Derby FAQ/Event Info

May 26th - 28th, 2023

Awards Ceremony will be held at Leatherback Brewing Company
2pm - 6pm, May 28th, 2023

When is the Derby?

Hunting takes place on Saturday May 27th, starting at 6am.

When is the Captain's Meeting?

The Captain's Meeting will take place on Friday May 26th at 6pm AST.

Where is the Captain's Meeting?

The Captain's Meeting will be held at Leatherback Brewing Company. 9902 Industrial Park, Kingshill, VI 00850

Is the Captain's Meeting mandatory?

Yes, the designated team captain is required to attend. For other members of the team, the meeting is optional, but recommended to ensure all the paperwork is in order. If one member of your team does not sign a waiver, they will not be allowed to participate in the 2023 St. Croix Lionfish Derby.

When is the Awards Ceremony?

Sunday, May 28th, 2pm - 6pm at Leatherback Brewery.

Do I need to register?

Yes, registration can be completed here.

How do I register?

Use the registration form here, and complete the information to register your team.
Ensure you have your team members names, a designated team captain, and all dive certification numbers handy.

What is the cost?

$50 per person. Each person will receive a SPF 50 long sleeve sun shirt with their registration. These will be distributed at the Captain's Meeting.

Do I need to sign a waiver?

Yes. Each member of your team must complete a waiver, as well as any spectators that will be on the boat.
Waivers can be filled out and submitted here.

How can I pay my registration fee?

Cash will be accepted at the Captain's Meeting on Friday.
Venmo @CORE_Foundation | Please include your team name in the memo.
Paypal: paypal.me/COREUSVI | Please include your team name in the memo.
QR Codes for CORE's Paypal and Venmo can be found here.

What are the rules?

Please review the rules page to familiarize yourself with the smaller details.

Can I keep my catch?

All of the catch from the Derby will be turned in at the weigh stations for measurement and count. We will collect all of the data and ensure it is accounted to your team. The fish will be donated to the event, cleaned, and donated to our food vendors who will cook up dishes to try during the award ceremony on Sunday.

Where are the weigh stations?

Altoona Boat Ramp
Frederiksted Boat Ramp
Molasses Pier

When do the weigh stations close?

Weigh stations will close at 4pm. Please have your catch in before the cutoff.

What if I want to free dive?

Free diving is allowed within the rules of the 2023 St. Croix Lionfish Derby. During registration, in the box asking for dive certification numbers, please write "Freediver". You will still be required to fill out a waiver and pay the $50 dollar non refundable registration fee.

How do I know if I am in a protected area?

Use this map from ArcGIS to determine if you are in one of the EEMP's Protected Areas or No Take Zones.
Use this map from the NPS to determine if you are in Buck Island National Reef Monument or Salt River National Historic Site and Ecological Preserve.

Can we have a Boat Captain / Surface Support that stays topside the entire derby and does not hunt?

Yes, they will be considered a spectator of the event and will still need to register and sign a waiver. Please include their information at the bottom when you go to register your team.

Can we have other spectators on the boat?

Yes, you may have additional spectators on the boat who are not participating in the hunt. They will required to complete the waiver here.

What is the prize distribution?

Commercial
- Largest
  1st - $1000 + ORCA Cooler from Adventures in Diving
  2nd - $500 + Lionfish Necklace and Earrings
  3rd - $150 dinner certificate to Sand Castle on the Beach
- Smallest
  1st - $1000
  2nd - $500 + Lionfish Ring
  3rd - $50 dollar gift card to Molly's + Tank fill card from Sweetbottom
- Most
  1st - $1000 + Tank fill card from Sweetbottom
  2nd - $500 + $50 dollar gift card to Molly's
  3rd - Earrings from Crucian Gold + Tank fill card from Sweetbottom
Recreational
- Largest
  1st - $1000
  2nd - $500 + Lionfish Metal Sculpture
  3rd - Tank Rental Card from Sweetbottom
- Smallest
  1st - $1000 + Tank Fill Card from Deep Breath
  2nd - $500 + Bracelets from Britney
  3rd - Tank Rental Card from Sweetbottom
- Most
  1st - $1000 + Tank Rental Card from Sweetbottom
  2nd - $500 + Tank Rental Card from Sweetbottom
  3rd - Dinner for 2 at The Mermaid Restaurant

Can I win first, second and third prize in a single category?

No. Per the tournament rules, each team is eligible to enter one fish in the Smallest category, one fish into the Largest category, and their total catch number will be used to determine their place for the Most category. The two fish submitted to Largest and Smallest will be counted in the Most entry.

Does that mean I can win first in three categories?

Yes! If you have the most, the largest, and the smallest fish, you will be taking home $3000 cash plus more.

What if I have more questions?

Please email Matthew at [email protected] and he will be happy to assist you and your questions about the derby!

Join the Caribbean Oceanic Restoration and Education Foundation (CORE) this spring for a one day Lionfish derby. CORE aims to bring this event back to St. Croix to help mitigate the invasive lionfish problem surrounding the island. Lionfish (Pterois spp.) are a species of fish native to the indo Pacific Ocean and are classified as an invasive species in this area. This year we have quite the prize pool available, and the t-shirts are pretty cool too. They come free with your registration!