For all you recreational fishermen out there, I thought you'd find this of interest.
(Source: NOAA Press Release)
NOAA has released the
Recreational Saltwater Fisheries Action Agenda, a national plan to address the complex issues facing marine recreational fisheries. The plan will improve science and stewardship and build a stronger partnership with the recreational community. It is a direct outcome of input received from recreational fishermen during the April 2010 Recreational Saltwater Fishing Summit organized by NOAA.
The Action Agenda includes a set of broad national goals, while focusing immediate attention on five priority issues:
- ensuring balanced recreational representation in the management process;
- more fully integrating recreational fishing values into the NOAA mission and culture;
- improving data on recreational fishing and fisheries;
- addressing recreational interests in NOAA’s catch share policy;
- supporting cooperative research and monitoring.
“The Action Agenda is the roadmap for us to fulfill our commitments made during NOAA’s Recreational Fishing Summit,” said Eric Schwaab, NOAA assistant administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service. “We know it is the strength of our actions that matter in the end, and we are committed to moving forward aggressively.”
Schwaab also announced that NOAA will provide a $276,000 grant to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to help give recreational fishermen conservation information. A portion of the national grant will support a collaborative workshop in spring 2011 to examine how best to reduce barotrauma – the injury to deepwater fish when pulled to the surface rapidly – in recreational fisheries, in order to improve survival of fish caught and then released.
“The resulting mortality due to barotrauma is a contentious issue among stakeholders,” said John V. O’Shea, executive director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. “The workshop will provide recreational fishermen, scientists, and managers the opportunity to develop a common understanding and approach to address this important issue.”
“Collaboratively, the recreational fishing community is a leading player in this program that will introduce stewardship to new anglers and reinforce the stewardship of existing anglers to reduce mortality of caught and released fish,” said Andy Loftus, coordinator for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission project. “The workshop will develop the best information available on catch-and-release practices that will be communicated to anglers for implementation. It’s a win-win in the best tradition of the recreational angling community and NOAA
On Friday I lead of a group of Florida Master Naturalist Alumni to the beautiful barrier island state park, Cayo Costa! We couldn't have asked for better weather. Park Ranger Mary Olson gave us a tour of the island via golf cart, which was unique in itself. If you have never been to the park, I highly reccomend it. You can't ask for a better example of a pristine barrier island. You can only get to the island by boat. We took a ferry from Pine Island. The day was a great lesson in barrier island ecology. We drove through tropical hardwood hammock, pine flatwoods, coastal scrub, and of course saw the islands amazing dune and beach habitats as well. We also had the opportunity to pull a seine net on the lagoon side; we caught a sea robin, lizardfish, mojarra, scaled sardine, sheepshead minnow, goldspotted killifish, bay anchovie and blue crab. Unfortunately, I had to take the early ferry back because I wasn't feeling so great, but it was still a wonderful day. Enjoy the pictures.
