Lionfish fishing competitions were held in Antalya

In order to effectively combat the lionfish, which is spreading from the Red Sea to the shores of Antalya through the Suez Canal and damaging the marine species living there, Antalya Municipality organized a lionfish fishing competition at Konyaalti Beach. The competition was held in two categories. In the first one, the participants who caught the biggest fish were declared the winners, and in the second one, the participants who caught the most fish by weight were declared the winners. A total of 13 kg 450 g of lionfish were caught, which the fishermen handed over to the cooks. They, in their turn, immediately cooked it and served it to all the guests of the tournament.

Mustafa Yıldırım, head of Antalya Municipality's Coastal and Marine Management Sector, said the event aimed to draw attention to the need to reduce the lionfish population. "It is very important for us to maintain the ecological balance. That is why this is the third time we are organizing this competition. We also want to show that lionfish also has economic value. It can be eaten as a high protein product, so we plan to include it in the menu of our municipal cafes," Mustafa Yıldırım said. 

The first prize in the first category was shared by a team consisting of Hüseyin Ümit Aksoy, Ufuk Çelik and Bülent Gürel. In the second category, the team consisting of Tuncay Pelit, Aytunç Pelit and Sabina Pelit took the first prize.