Conservation
Environmental and waterway news.
Latest in Conservation
NOAA Fisheries is Implementing Actions for Yellowtail Snapper and Shallow-Water Groupers in the South Atlantic
August 13, 2013 Small Entity Compliance Guide NOAA Fisheries is implementing management measures in Regulatory Amendment 15 to the Fishery …
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.
