Listen • 0:46 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will host its annual lionfish festival from May 15 to 16 in Destin. The event is meant to raise awareness of the invasive species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will host its annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival May 15 – 16 in Destin. The FWC will hold the event outdoors, where vendors and educational booths will be set up. A lionfish-catching tournament, the Emerald Coast Open, will coincide with the festival. The activities are meant to raise awareness of lionfish, a nonnative invasive species FWC spokesperson Amanda Nalley says was first introduced into Florida’s waters back in the mid-80s. She says since then, their numbers have grown.