In an effort to reduce the population of the invasive lionfish off Florida's coast, state wildlife officials are offering divers an incentive by allowing them to take one extra spiny lobster each day during the two-day season.

The season runs Wednesday and Thursday.

It will be a chance for recreational anglers to get a head start on commercial fishermen before the regular season begins next week.

For the first time this year, divers can get an extra lobster if they kill lion fish during the two-day season. Lionfish have overrun Florida's reefs and have killed the native fish population.

The invasive species has become an ecological and economical problem for the state.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is using the two-day spiny lobster season to encourage divers to kill the lionfish so they can grab another lobster.

"I mean, who would want extra lobster?" said Adam Sadr, a fisherman from Viera. "Plus, increasing the lobster population is the best thing to do right now. Getting all these lionfish out of here is definitely important."

Gil Chappell, a diver from Winter Park, added: "That's fantastic because everybody knows those lionfish are invasive species."

During this two-day season, the regular bag limit is six spiny lobster in state and federal waters of Biscayne National Park waters and off Monroe County, and 12 spiny lobster elsewhere. There is no bag limit for lionfish. Harvesters can take as many as they want.

For the 2015 spiny lobster sport season only, divers will be allowed a single spiny lobster over the bag limit per day for each day that they also harvest 10 or more lionfish. Lionfish must be kept as proof of harvest while on the water. When off the water, a photo of harvesters with their 10 lionfish must be kept to document eligibility for harvesting an extra lobster. Lionfish must be harvested the same day and prior to taking the additional lobster. All other rules, including no spearfishing zones, apply.

Fish and Wildlife's goal is to get divers in the habit of removing lionfish when they see them in the waters off Florida's coast.

"Our hope is that once lobster divers realize how easy it is to remove lionfish, they will continue to do so throughout the regular lobster season and beyond," FWC Commissioner Brian Yablonski said.

For information about recreational spiny lobster, go to MyFWC.com/Fishing.