Conservation

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NOAA Fisheries Announces Sea Turtle Release Gear Workshops for Snapper-Grouper Permitted Vessels in the South Atlantic

August 12, 2013 NOAA Fisheries will conduct outreach workshops to review required sea turtle release gear for federal South Atlantic …

It’s More Than the Catch

As recreational anglers, we have all probably heard (and read) about it a million times. Search the internet and you are likely to find thousands of articles documenting “best practices” for releasing fish.

Fall Snapper Season, Really?

As many of you know, the Gulf Council has recently voted to have a fall red snapper season. Good news, eh? Yeah, I think so, but it could have been better. There are lots of moving parts involved in this, and I think it would be worthwhile to check them out, because in the next few months and years, these parts will still be moving, and more (and perhaps better) decisions will depend on them. First a quick summary of what went into creating the extended season.

Lionfish invasion…Let’s Fight Back!

The sport of spearfishing is governed by federal and state regulations, and we have the same size and creel limits as anglers. Spearfishing has been found to be the most environmentally friendly form of fishing due to being highly selective, having no by-catch, causing no habitat damage, nor creating stress or harm to protected endangered species. These facts prove a spearfisherman can harvest their catch without doing any harm to the reef, but can he actually help the health of the reef? Absolutely! The newest target species for us gulf coast hunters is the invasive lionfish. The last few years has seen an explosion in the local population of these beautiful, but extremely harmful fish.

Commercial Harvest of Snowy Grouper in South Atlantic Waters Closes on August 10

Commercial harvest of snowy grouper in South Atlantic waters will close at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 10, 2013. …

Raising the Bottom: Coastal Farmers on the Front-line

We arrived in Empire, LA an important port of the Mississippi Delta. This area of the Mississippi Delta took Katrina right on the chin and the wetlands continue to lose land at the most rapid pace of anywhere in the world…..thanks to erosion, subsidence, sea level rise, industrial traffic and the hurricanes of course.

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Sarasota Police Officer Leaps into Action to Stop Unmanned Boat in Dramatic Rescue

The unmanned boat was cruising in circles up to 40 mph off the Gulf Coast in Sarasota.

Dropping a GoPro Under the World’s Most Dangerous Fishing Pier

The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier in Florida is often referred to as the "world's most dangerous pier" due to the high concentration of tiger sharks and other marine life in the area. A video posted on YouTube by Brant Peacher showed a massive tiger shark and "endless amounts of giant sharks" near the pier.  

Bucket List: Bow River Bullets

Without a doubt, Alberta, Canada’s Bow River is a world-class trout fishery. Glacier-fed and flowing more than 350 miles from the Canadian Rockies through the foothills and prairies of Alberta, it is big and scenic by the time it reaches the 50-mile section southeast of Calgary that author Jim McLennan called “the Blue Ribbon Bow.” It is here in this blue ribbon stretch that anglers flock to get in on some of the best brown and rainbow trout fishing in the world.