05-30-2013, 11:10 AM
On June 12, in the morning of their meeting in Lakeland, FL, the members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will take their final vote on the proposed regulations to make tarpon and bonefish catch and release in the state of Florida. Although that seems like a no-brainer to many, a positive outcome on this vote is far from certain. Even if you have voiced your support for these regulations in the past, during the Draft phase, we are asking you to once again make your support of the proposed regulations known. Your support is critically important.
You may share your views online by completing the email form at this web site, by calling the staff of the Commission ((850) 488-4676), or by mail to: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600. If you reside in or will be in Florida on June 12 and are able to attend the Commission meeting to provide comments in person, please visit this web page for location information. The catch and release vote is the second item on the agenda.
The basics of the proposed rules are:
Bonefish
- As of 2011, bonefish are catch and release only except for an exemption for tournaments that allows for retention of bonefish in a live-well for transport to a weigh-in station. The new draft regulations would remove that exemption, meaning that all bonefish would have to be released at the site of capture (temporarily possessing a fish for weighing, photography, scientific sampling would be OK). IGFA allows world record weights to be obtained as long as the scale is attached to something (such as an angler) standing on the bottom (such as the flat).
Tarpon
- The intent is to manage tarpon as a catch-and-release-only fishery with allowable harvest and possession limited to possession in pursuit of an IGFA record.
- At present, there are no regulations on tarpon in Federal waters. The proposed rules would extend Florida regulations to apply in Federal waters off the Florida coast.
- Tarpon harvest tags will be limited so that they can only be used harvest or possess tarpon in pursuit of an IGFA record.
- The total number of tarpon harvest tags that an angler can obtain in one year will be limited to one
- Professional fishing guides will be able to obtain more than one tarpon harvest tag per year
- Tarpon can be targeted with hook and line gear only
- Tarpon can be temporarily possessed for photography, measurement of length and girth, scientific sampling, and released at the site of capture
- Tarpon less than 40 inches fork length can be briefly removed from the water for photography, measurement, scientific sampling.
- Tarpon greater than 40 inches fork length must remain completely in the water
Talking Points:
Tarpon and bonefish are important components of a saltwater recreational fishery in Florida that has an economic impact exceeding $6 billion annually
The Florida Keys Flats Fishery annual economic impact exceeds $427 million
The annual economic impact of residents in the Charlotte Harbor area fishing for tarpon exceeds $110 million (add tourist anglers, and the number increases significantly)<br />
With multiple generations of fishing guides, the fishery is culturally important<br />
Florida is the birthplace of "Flats Fishing" and of coastal Big Game Fishing
The Florida Keys are the birthplace of Flats Fishing<br />
The first tarpon caught on hook and line was caught in southwest Florida in 1885<br />
This requires us to be responsible stewards<br />
A recent international scientific review ranked tarpon as Vulnerable due to:
Significant regional population declines (due in part to commercial harvest in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil) and fishing pressure<br />
Harvest continues in some locations<br />
Loss of habitats, primarily habitats needed by juveniles<br />
Research has shown that we all share a regional tarpon population
Many adults seasonally migrate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern United States<br />
After tarpon spawn, their larvae can travel to juvenile habitat locations throughout the region<br />
Florida is the epicenter of the regional tarpon population, so it is especially important that the fishery is protected<br />
Since tarpon are long-lived (up to 80 years) and late to become sexually mature (they mature at 8 - 12 years of age), they are especially vulnerable
Recovery of the population is on the time scale of decades<br />
The loss of juvenile habitat will likely delay recovery<br />
Given the amount of fishing effort for tarpon, we must take the responsible approach to conservation for the long term
The bonefish population in the Florida Keys has declined significantly for reasons as yet unknown
Although not well documented, there has been harvest of bonefish by fishermen in South Florida
Most, if not all, bonefish tournaments have moved or are moving to an all-release format, meaning that retention of bonefish for weigh-in is no longer necessary
Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park, as of July 1, 2013, will no longer allow retention of bonefish caught within Park waters, so the new bonefish 'non-retention' rule will bring the state in line with the Parks
Given the current low population of bonefish in the Florida Keys, the catch and release rules for bonefish is the responsible approach
You may share your views online by completing the email form at this web site, by calling the staff of the Commission ((850) 488-4676), or by mail to: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600. If you reside in or will be in Florida on June 12 and are able to attend the Commission meeting to provide comments in person, please visit this web page for location information. The catch and release vote is the second item on the agenda.
The basics of the proposed rules are:
Bonefish
- As of 2011, bonefish are catch and release only except for an exemption for tournaments that allows for retention of bonefish in a live-well for transport to a weigh-in station. The new draft regulations would remove that exemption, meaning that all bonefish would have to be released at the site of capture (temporarily possessing a fish for weighing, photography, scientific sampling would be OK). IGFA allows world record weights to be obtained as long as the scale is attached to something (such as an angler) standing on the bottom (such as the flat).
Tarpon
- The intent is to manage tarpon as a catch-and-release-only fishery with allowable harvest and possession limited to possession in pursuit of an IGFA record.
- At present, there are no regulations on tarpon in Federal waters. The proposed rules would extend Florida regulations to apply in Federal waters off the Florida coast.
- Tarpon harvest tags will be limited so that they can only be used harvest or possess tarpon in pursuit of an IGFA record.
- The total number of tarpon harvest tags that an angler can obtain in one year will be limited to one
- Professional fishing guides will be able to obtain more than one tarpon harvest tag per year
- Tarpon can be targeted with hook and line gear only
- Tarpon can be temporarily possessed for photography, measurement of length and girth, scientific sampling, and released at the site of capture
- Tarpon less than 40 inches fork length can be briefly removed from the water for photography, measurement, scientific sampling.
- Tarpon greater than 40 inches fork length must remain completely in the water
Talking Points:
Tarpon and bonefish are important components of a saltwater recreational fishery in Florida that has an economic impact exceeding $6 billion annually
The Florida Keys Flats Fishery annual economic impact exceeds $427 million
The annual economic impact of residents in the Charlotte Harbor area fishing for tarpon exceeds $110 million (add tourist anglers, and the number increases significantly)<br />
With multiple generations of fishing guides, the fishery is culturally important<br />
Florida is the birthplace of "Flats Fishing" and of coastal Big Game Fishing
The Florida Keys are the birthplace of Flats Fishing<br />
The first tarpon caught on hook and line was caught in southwest Florida in 1885<br />
This requires us to be responsible stewards<br />
A recent international scientific review ranked tarpon as Vulnerable due to:
Significant regional population declines (due in part to commercial harvest in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil) and fishing pressure<br />
Harvest continues in some locations<br />
Loss of habitats, primarily habitats needed by juveniles<br />
Research has shown that we all share a regional tarpon population
Many adults seasonally migrate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern United States<br />
After tarpon spawn, their larvae can travel to juvenile habitat locations throughout the region<br />
Florida is the epicenter of the regional tarpon population, so it is especially important that the fishery is protected<br />
Since tarpon are long-lived (up to 80 years) and late to become sexually mature (they mature at 8 - 12 years of age), they are especially vulnerable
Recovery of the population is on the time scale of decades<br />
The loss of juvenile habitat will likely delay recovery<br />
Given the amount of fishing effort for tarpon, we must take the responsible approach to conservation for the long term
The bonefish population in the Florida Keys has declined significantly for reasons as yet unknown
Although not well documented, there has been harvest of bonefish by fishermen in South Florida
Most, if not all, bonefish tournaments have moved or are moving to an all-release format, meaning that retention of bonefish for weigh-in is no longer necessary
Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park, as of July 1, 2013, will no longer allow retention of bonefish caught within Park waters, so the new bonefish 'non-retention' rule will bring the state in line with the Parks
Given the current low population of bonefish in the Florida Keys, the catch and release rules for bonefish is the responsible approach