Helen Rodney used to be afraid of the ocean. That’s until she tried scuba diving, which led to hunting lionfish. And that’s what just won her an award.

Rodney of Broward County recently came in third place in the recreational division of Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s annual Lionfish Challenge, removing 962 of the invasive venomous species – usually done by spearfishing – in the agency’s 10th annual summer tournament.

"Anytime I scuba dive, I hunt them," said the Deerfield Beach resident. "They’re hurting the coral reef. Also, I love to hunt. They're great fish to eat as well. I eat them in ceviche, and they're probably the best tasting fish out there."

Lionfish are greedy eaters that threaten to decimate the population of reef fish that eat algae, leading to unchecked algal gro

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