Conservation

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Fish Busters’ Bulletin: License-Free Freshwater Fishing Days – April 5-6

Florida Fish Busters’ Bulletin By Bob Wattendorf     Bream destinations great for kids; license-free fishing weekend, photo contest coming soon …

Free Women’s Fishing Clinic scheduled for Fort Pierce, Vero Beach

Learn the skills to successfully cast your line into the sea by attending the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission …

New Study: BP Oil is Affecting the Hearts of Fish

During the spring and summer of 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster released over 4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This was an unprecedented amount of toxic material discharged into the Gulf, and oil spill scientists have been researching its impacts on marine and coastal wildlife ever since. One of the species of concern is the imperiled Atlantic bluefin tuna, which was spawning at the time and location of the BP disaster.

Sargassum, a most valuable weed

We see it most every time we go out on the water, and unless we’re trolling for wahoo or dolphinfish, we probably just take Sargassum weed for granted and don’t give it a second thought.

Sharks and Empty Trophic Levels

We all know nature hates a vacuum, and she’s almost as picky about trophic levels in ecosystems. Which brings up an interesting situation in the Gulf of Mexico. During the late nineteen eighties and nineties, the commercial shark fishery hit the Gulf shark stocks pretty hard.

Lengthy Gulf Restoration Plan Needs to Dive Deeper

If you're like me, the recent holiday season has erased some of your memory (I think it’s all the sweets), and you may be in need of a refresher on where we left off in the Gulf restoration process. Recently, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) trustees released a long-awaited draft Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Phase III Environmental Restoration Plan (ERP). This was exciting news for the Gulf of Mexico, because the PEIS is critical for laying the groundwork for a comprehensive, long-term and integrated restoration process in the wake of the BP oil disaster. Ocean Conservancy’s experts have been going through the nearly 2,500- page document with a fine tooth comb over the last several weeks, and we are pleased to present you with our preliminary views.

Popular This Month

Record-Breaking Catch: Weston Lands 153-Pound Alligator Gar on 2-Pound Line

On April 8, 2025, angler Art Weston reeled in an astonishing 153-pound alligator gar while fishing on Lake Livingston, TX

Pat Hutchinson Lands World Record Blue Catfish on Light Tackle

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.

Big Trouble in Morehead City

There’s nothing quite like the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, and the 2025 tournament reminded us all why it’s one …

You Weren’t Meant to Live in Traffic

If you’re someone who dreams in tides, lives for casting lines at sunrise, and feels most at home with salt …