The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15. This 5-month closure occurs each year during the species’ peak spawning season to help conserve and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource.Editorial Staff
Proposals to create National Parks for habitat protection for Grand Bahama Island and Abaco are now on the desk of the Prime Minister of the Bahamas. BTT asks you to support the efforts of our Bahamas collaborators – Bahamas National Trust, Friends of the Environment, Abaco Fly Fishing Guides Association, and the lodges and fishing guides on these islands – by making your voice heard.Editorial Staff
What’s the point of devoting money and manpower to extensive oyster reef restoration if we can’t eat them? Simply put, oysters are hardly a one-trick pony. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits of our local oysters, even though we can’t slurp them down with Tabasco and a cold beer.Florida Oceanographic Society
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is celebrating its inaugural Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day by hosting and promoting a weekend of exciting events across the state, starting Saturday, May 16, including a festival in Pensacola. Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (established to be the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year) was created by FWC Commissioners to help draw attention to the lionfish issue. Lionfish are a nonnative, invasive species that have a potential negative impact on native species and habitat.Treasure Coast
Florida Oceanographic Society will host the 4th annual Game Fish and Fish Games on Sunday, April 19 from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. for children ages 8–14. This free fishing clinic will take place at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 N.E. Ocean Blvd. on Hutchinson Island in Stuart.Editorial Staff
Pat Hutchinson set a new IGFA Women’s 3-kg (6 lb.) Line Class World Record with a 13.61-kilogram (30-pound) blue catfish caught on the James River in Virginia. The record-setting catfish struck her cut bait, and after a determined 22-minute battle, Pat successfully landed the fish. She weighed it on a certified scale before safely releasing it back into the river.Editorial Staff