The Tribal Blog:: The latest news in recreational fishing conservation

Check back often for the latest news on conservation relevant to recreational fishing.

Do you know of a good news story? Let us know.

May 13

Minnesota provides grants to its citizens to help with habitat protection and restoration, and it seems to be successful.

It's not as good as getting rid of the dam (but this dam actually seems to be necessary), but a new fish ladder is allowing herring to migrate upriver in New Hampshire. More of this needs to happen. New England used to boast enormous populations of fish, but many are now severely reduced, especially those that migrated up rivers. Habitat loss has been a factor in many of these declines. But overfishing has been a big factor as well. For example, there were once so many menhaden in New England that there were menhaden processing factories in Maine. Just another reminder that even the fisheries that people might think are in good shape today are really just mere shadows of what they once were.

A reader let us know about a good fish conservation site that focuses on the offshore species like tunas and billfishes. Good information and ideas to do something about it.

The bad news just keeps coming from Canada, and people are worried about the future of the fisheries because of new pipelines that will likley be built across some of that habitat. This has now been acknowledged.

The threat to allow more roads to be constructed in what is now wilderness roadless lands is very bad news for fish and wildlife.

An interesting habitat restoration project near Miami, FL. Dedication like this is fantastic to see.

As many expected, the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill continue in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Oil and tarballs continue to show up on beaches and in the marshes, and some fish populations are way down. This will continue for many, many years.

 

April 30

As if we needed a reminder that Patagonia Founder and head dude Yvon Chouinard is out in front of everyone when it comes to corporate responsibility, he's featured in a Wall Street Journal article. It seems that mega-corporations like Wal Mart and others are following his lead. Maybe there is hope.

April 29

The strategy to weaken habitat protections for fish seems to be evolving into a bit more nuanced approach. They choose to be ignorant that water runs downstream - from the 'drainage ditches' to water that harbors fish. And that's just the beginning. And now they're starting to admit it, which must mean they're feeling pretty comfortable about things.

Buying land to replace land lost to development seems to be en vogue these days, with Wal Mart into the act. Certainly better than losing more and more fish habitat. But not all wetland is created equal, and care must be taken to not give up better quality wetland for development in exchange for protection/restoration elsewhere. The concept of wetland mitigation (destroy wetland here, restore wetland there) is appealing (which is probably why it proved popular) but is mostly a fallacy. But buying land to protect fish seems to be the trend.

I guess you need to work within the system that's been established, but it's a damn sad day when water has to be purchased to ensure that fish survive. Unfortunately, this only seems to be scrastching the surface on the not-so-rosy future of Colorado's water wars.

Teh BP gulf of Mexico oil spill - the gift that keeps on giving. It will dissolve from the consciousness of most Americans, but the impacts will continue for a long time. Either we do something about it or suffer the long term consequences. At least some of the money is being used for habitat restoration. But what protects this habitat from another spill?

It looks like the country of Ghana is joining the list of countries that choose oil over natural resources, with well-established dire consequences. It's so sad that this occurs over and over again, as if in a vacuum, when examples are all around.

Invasive species are a major problem, causing ecological and economic damage. So why is it always a tale of woe after the fact, yet no agency is willing to prevent the invasions in the first place? Wait, isn't Florida the state that purposefully introduced non-native fish species to enhance recreational fishing opportunities?

According to the federal government, essential fish habitat is "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity." We assume that designating essential fish habitat involves figuring out what habitats fish species have been depending upon for eons. Designating essential fish habitat then allows these fish species to continue to survive (and perhaps support fisheries). We also assume that resource management agencies are hard at work identifying and protecting essential fish habitat, but we are proven wrong on a daily basis. The coverage of wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, for example, declines at an alarming rate on a daily basis, yet there is not a serious effort to address this. How is it, then, that the federal Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Council took the time to determine that artificial structures like oil platforms, and has put in the effort to publicly call for these structures to be designated essential fish habitats? What in the world did these species do to survive during the millions of years before these structures? Are we really to the point that we're willing to designate artificial structures as "essential fish habitat" while simultaneoulsy kissing natural habitats goodbye forever? A sad state of affairs.

Good news for Nassau grouper in the Caribbean, a rarity - better protection for spawning aggregations in the Cayman Islands.

Some drastic and bad news about Malaysia's marine fisheries - nothing left in a few decades. Unfortunately, this same scenario is playing out in many places throughout the world, and the implications are very bad. Without local sources of protein, these places will become even more unstable.

Although the merits of marine sanctuaries (aka marine protected areas) in the absence of additional regulations continue to be debated, in some locations a sanctuary is the last and fina hope. Jamaica is one of those places - essentially fished out for decades, anything that helps is good.

 

April 15

It's been a while since the last posting, so this will be a big one.

First, a photo from Tribal Bonefisher John, in Eleuthera

Check out the more photos of Tribal Bonefish gear in action, and send in yours for posting on the site.

It's nice to see some effort for coordination a the federal level toward improving and protecting fish habitat, but it's all just talk until implementation and action. Memoranda of understanding have been signed plenty of times before with little to show in the end. Plus, the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, which this new coordination is supposed to facilititate, has some fundamental flaws in its own right. Among these flaws - though the program will provide funding for fish habitat restoration, they will not fund the monitoring to determine if the restoration actually works. This is akin to investing in a startup company and then never bothering to follow up to see if your investment made you money. Given the cost of restoration (high), it would be worth putting some money into determining if the cost is actually worth it or just good PR. This story may well be a case in point. Although the time consuming effort of people to repopulate this area with fish is described, there is no hint that anyone will follow up to see if the effort actually worked.

Great to see a multifaceted and multi-partner effort to restore fish habitat, sad to see that some folks still just don't get it.

Good to see interest in the work of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust from the movers and shakers of New York City.

Speaking of New York, good to see Trout Unlimited working with a local conservation group toward using conservation easements as a means to protect critical trout habitat.

It's really just a drop in the bucket (pun intended), but it's good to see that some of the fees for drilling on federal lands are being applied to habitat conservation.

It was once suggested that Army Corps of Engineers purposefully messed things up so they could hire themselves to fix it, a great approach to job security. This story may be yet another example.

If stocking is really essential to maintaining a fishery, bass may be the one that makes sense, and it looks like the state of Florida is taking the right approach.

This type of study on the economic value of recreational fisheries has to be done more regularly and in more places. Our guess is that most states and countries really don't have a very good idea of the economic importance of their recreational fisheries. If they did, fish habitats (which are the factory that creates the fisheries) would receive higher regard.

Amazing. More than 38,000 fish die in a river, and somehow there is no accountability. If 'corporations are people' then they need to be held accountable, not absolved.

A new study suggests that the structures associated with offshore wind farms may increase the local abundance of some species of fish. Given that oil rigs and other artificial structures do the same thing, this study's results are not surprising. It's good news to see that wind farms may have secondary positive effects (in addition to supplying renewable energy). But rather than rely on one study for all such windfarms, it will be important to conduct additional studies in other locations.

The saga brought about by the anti-conservation government in Canada continues. In the latest round, Vancouver opposes the new national rules because the new rules will damage the fish habitats that are so important to Vancouver's economy. Looks like the government is getting an earful from the scientific community as well.

More fish habitat purchased and set aside for conservation, good news for Columbia River salmon. If politicians are unable or unwilling to realize the importance of these habitats to the economically important fisheries and the human cultures that accompany them, and don't see the long term implications to human health from the loss of healthy ecosystems, it's going to come down to private groups to get it done. If you fish and aren't a member of a conservation group, join one.

On the one hand, responsible fish farms are going to be necessary to feed the growing world population. Commercial harvest of wild fish just can't keep up, at least not the way it is now practiced. But fish farms have to feed their fish, and to do so they are harvesting increasing amounts of small fish (anchovies, sardines, herring, menhaden) that wild fish rely on for food. In other words, it's death by a different means, but still death. A new scientific report takes on this problem. Bottom line - the fish farms are going to have to find another source of food for their fish. Whether you fish for striped bass, redfish, or tarpon, this harvest of forage fish impacts you.

 

 

 

 

March 26

There is a national movement to cut funding from all programs that have to do with conservation, even some pushing to sell off the national and state parks so they can be developed. This is very bad for fish and wildlife, fishing and hunting, anything that is not concrete and steel. This testimony is from the Defenders of Wildlife at a recent committee hearing in Washington, DC, and reflects what so many others involved in resource management are saying.

Here's your chance to weigh in to support the protection of Eel Grass as essential fish habitat. Tell them to not only protect the Eel Grass that remains, but to work to restore Eel Grass that has been losst. Healthy habitats = healthy fisheries, it can't be more straightforward than that.

Things are heating up in Canada over the government's plan to do away with much of the regulations protecting fish habitat and fisheries. Here, here. The fact that the government is trying to do this in secret makes it especially worrisome.

Increased fees in Yellowstone will help with habitat conservation and restoration. Excellent. If we're going to be the primary users of the habitats and fisheries, we need to be the primary supporters as well.

 

March 18

Thanks to TribalBlog reader Vince Staley for the following links about tar sand oil being spilled from a pipeline in Michigan, on the Kalamazoo River. If anyone was doubting the decision of the current administration to put the Keystone Pipeline on hold until more studies were conducted, the experiences from the Kalamazoo spill, which spilled the same tar sands oil that would be carried in the Keystone Pipeline, should remove that doubt. Oil spills are bad enough. Oil spills from pipelines that cross and parallel rivers are worse. Oils from tar sands are as bad as it gets. It seems that tar sands oil doesn't necessarily float, so can move downstream undetected. It's also good at getting entrained in the bottom sediments, which means it's there for a loooooong time and is difficult to clean up. It also turns out that tar sands oil is full of nasty toxins, like metals (mercury, nickel, and others), which means you won't be (or certainly shouldn't) eat any fish or shellfish from areas with tar sands oil contamination. In other words - have a spill, plan to do your fishing somewhere else for quite a while. Read more about it here, here, and here. And that doesn't event take into consideration the fact that, seemingly without fail, the companies at fault delay, distract, and otherwise try not to be accountable, thus making matters worse.

March 17

I bet you didn't know that there was a leak/spill from a deep water oil drilling operation off the coast of Brazil last you. And I bet you didn't know that there are plans to do a lot more deep water drilling there even though problems continue. One thing different about the Deepwater Horizon spill off the Louisiana coast and the spill off Brazil is that Brazil is considering criminal charges against Chevron Execs, and has issued an order prohibiting them from leaving the country. Wonder why this isn't getting much coverage in the US media?

March 16

Things are still not settled in the Yakima River Basin water management plan.

The future does not look bright for New York state's fish and habitat. First, governor Cuomo got rid of fishing licenses so now there's no way to gauge fising effort, harvest, etc - the information needed to regulate the fishery. Now it seems he's put language into his state budget that nearly got rid of federal money slated for fish and habitat management. I sense a pattern developing here - one that is short sighted and ill conceived.

Great to see the efforts toward Tongass forest protections making the news on a regular basis. Persistence is key in these issues.

This via moldychum

If you were wondering why some were pushing so hard to get the Keystone Pipeline (you know, the plan to run an oil pipeline down the gut of the USA, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, through sensitive habitats and more), now that information is starting to come out - wonder no more. It seems that costs of such a project would far outweigh the benefits. not surprising. And the type of oil from the Canadian tar sands would be especially bad when (not if) it leaked from the pipeline. Damn that information, you mean we might actually have to think about what we're doing? The study was done by folks from a very good university you might have heard about before - Cornell. Find out how you can help.

March 14

Uh oh, it looks like there is SERIOUS trouble in Canada - the irresponsible behavior of the current government is getting worse. That they're doing much of this behind the scenes tells you they know it's wrong. It seems that the current government is going all-in on gutting fish, fisheries, and habitat regulations. As is often the case, the excuse seems to be short term financial gain. One of the things that Canada has going for it is their natural resources like fishing and the habitats that create and support the fisheries. With short-sightedness and selfishness like this, things look dim in deed for Canadian fishermen of all types. Read the details here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Maybe the extensive press coverage and dishonest dealings of the politicians will energize Canadians to put a stop to the selling off of their future.

 

March 12

Outdoor and conservation are so urgently needed that we're ready to let the whole hatchery and stocking aspect slide on this one. In New Jersey, trout are being used as education tools for kids. This story via Midcurrent.

Commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental folks - all working together for habitat protections in Alaska. Great to see these diverse groups getting together. These groups tend to speak different languages, but there are many instances in which they all want the same thing - healthy environments and a lot of fish. They just have to realize it and work together. More details here.

We used to think that the Great Lakes was at the top of ecologically corrupt water-based ecosystems in the US, but based on recent stories the Delta region of central California may worth a mention.Water rights, tunnels for water, endangered species, fish removals...What a mess.

 

Posted March 4

Just in case you thought that we had adequate accountabily procedures in place for things like oil spills, think again. A restoration plan for fish, wildlife, and habitat was just agreed upon for an oil spill that occurred in November 2007. Yes, that's right - the spill occured in 2007, and a story posted March 1, 2012 just announced an agreement for a restoration plan.

As if we needed another example of the cost for screwing it up in the first place, this one from central California - the cost for restoration is always big, frequently bigger than the economic value of the activity that broke things in the first place. Ever feel like you're on a merry-go-round with no off button? More details here and here.

Talk about screwing it up - water alterations to support an unsustainable approach to agriculture, destroying fish (salmn, in this case) and their ecosystem at the same time. Doubel whammy. The increasing pursuit of short term gains with no sense of long term accountability is getting scary.

This via Moldychum.com

- stirring video testimony about the Northern Gateway Pipeline and the impacts it can have.

- A video of an expert's presentation on the tar sands and pipeline

- Perhaps a sign of better news to come for salmon in Oregon.

 

Posted February 29

I couldn't believe this when I saw the quote, but it's true: "In the future, what you would like to do is deploy these robots in the environment and have them be able to steer fish away from pollution, away from a danger." Seriously?!?!?! This is what's coming to? Spend untold dollars to design robots to try to get fish to swim away from pollution, degraded habitats, and the like, rather than actually address the problems causing the pollution, habitat degradation, etc? Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership continues to lobby for federal money for conservation.

Funding for habitat conservation - it's not coming from the Feds, it's not coming from the States, so it has to come from somewhere. The Nature Conservancy is looking to different sources than normal for habitat funding. In this case, an oil company for Gulf of Mexico habitat restoration. (Yes, it's officially for bird habitat, but these marsh islands are critical fish habitat as well.)

 

Posted February 26

A quick and dirty support vs opposition take on the Klamath River Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. As is often the case, the opposition that they cite is 'old world' and short sighted.

A nice blog report at The Drake on a juvenile tarpon habitat restoration and monitoring project.

More problems from fish farms - cage culture of Atlantic salmon spreading disease. What's it going to take for the threats from these operations to be taken seriously by regulators? Open-water net pen culture operations are fraught with problems that need to be addressed.

It's great to see BASS getting involved in conservation. I know some of the scientists involved in this event, and it's the real deal.

 

Posted February 19

More habitat for fish, especially the juveniles, is a good thing.

This is a tough one. On the one hand, artificial reefs are known to concentrate fish, making them easier targets for anglers, and thus may contribute to overfishing. On the other hand, there is little natural hard-bottom habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico, habitat which supports species like red snapper. But one has to wonder that if "fisheries management" is down to the point of arguing whether artificial reefs are essential to the fisheries, that a very bad line was crossed long ago, and the situation is well down the slippery slope of 'badness'. What we know is that the natural habitats supported a lot of fish just fine for the longest time, so things must be in pretty bad shape these days.

This is absolutely excellent news: IGFA Updates Rules to Encourage All-Release Tournaments Now the ball is in the anglers' court - to practice responsible catch and release methods to ensure the released fish survive.

Those damn dams. This article shows that once something is created, it's hard to take it back to the way it was, even if the way it was is, ultimately, the best way.

Posted February 14

Wow, things are all of a sudden looking not so great. Most of the newswire is calling for help, not reporting progress. Read on...

From the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (advocating for anglers and hunters in DC): Public ownership of and access to more than 70,000 acres of national forest land in southeast Alaska is being threatened by the proposed Sealaska legislation. These publicly accessible lands currently provide world-class opportunities for resident and nonresident sportsmen to pursue deer, black bear and wild salmon. They also support a $1 billion per year salmon fishing industry.

If the Sealaska bill is enacted, ownership of the land would be transferred to the Sealaska corporation. Access or use of these lands by the public for hunting and fishing would be uncertain, and industrial land management practices used by Sealaska could degrade habitat and harm fish and wildlife populations.

Stopping this legislation would serve the best interest of local residents, southeast Alaska's economy and sportsmen everywhere.

TAKE ACTION NOW: Ask your congressional delegation to oppose this legislation today

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I'd like to say that the new Obama budget is a realistic view on what he can actually get given the tough economic times, but I can't. I think his budget is already a compromise position, which will be weakened in negotiations (if anything actually happens with a budget at all this year). This means that the final budget will be quite a blow. The USFWS will take a hit. More on the long-term consequences here. Don't they realize they're messing with the future of all that is outdoors in the US?

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This brief story from Florida has so many bad news angles I'm not sure what teaser to use. So just read it.

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Seriously?!?! The new mission statement for the Alaska DNR scraps "conserve" and replaces it with "Responsibly develop"? Seriously?!?! Were drugs involved? Wow. The Save Bristol Bay (anti-Pebble Mine) folks' challenge just got a bit bigger.

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Marrying your second cousin is still legal in some states, but that doesn't make it right. Using hatchery fish to 'restore' wild salmon populations isn't right either.

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More bad news for Florida's anglers. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's own web site states that "Florida Forever is Florida’s premier conservation and recreation lands acquisition program, a blueprint for conserving natural resources and renewing Florida’s commitment to conserve the state’s natural and cultural heritage." This is a pretty amazing statement given that Florida Forever received no funds for this year and has received only $15 million the last three years, more than a 98% cut of its normal funding level!

The Legislature is now building the state’s budget for next year, and there is no money in it for Florida Forever. If you live in Florida, fish in Florida, visit Florida to fish or hunt or hike or kayak...you will be impacted by this. This budget cut is on top of the Governor's call to sell of state lands, including parks and conservation lands, for pennies on the dollar. Help ensure that Florida continues to buy the critical environmental and outdoor recreation lands that provide our clean water and support the tourism-based economy.

February 15 is Florida Forever Day
Call or email your state senator and representative on February 15 and ask them to
fund Florida Forever for at least the $15 million requested by Governor Scott. Ask your
family and friends to call also; post it on Facebook. Show the Legislature that citizens believe
Florida Forever is essential to Florida’s future.
Find your Legislator: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find.

Or contact the Governor directly.

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If you've fished the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, you know that the fishing is good. And you know that it's good because the habitat is abundant. It looks like some folks who don't fish are trying to push through new regulations that will allow more oil drilling in what is at present untouched fish habitat.

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Oops, some good news today

- another example of removing dams to help fish habitat.

- anglers contributing to conservation. I like it.

 

Posted February 13

The Everglades Foundation is asking for your help in getting funding restored for the Everglades. The Florida Senate recently proposed a budget that ELIMINATES funding for critical Everglades Restoration projects. This will negatively impact recreational fishing and fish
habitats in the Everglades, Florida Bay, the Florida Keys, and even the east and west coasts of Florida the receive effluent from Lake Okeechobee. Plus, the lack of restoration funds will impact the safety of the drinking water supply for South Florida. Everglades Foundation has set up a web site that makes it easy for you to help: www.fundtheeverglades.com And after you visit their web site, send a letter, email, or call Tallahassee and tell them to restore the funding.

Yes, even sharks should benefit from good handling for catch and release fishing, especially when they are caught and released in a place like Florida, where they are protected.

The salt marshes of the Mississippi River Delta may be the most endangered habitats in the United States. They are disappearing at an alarming rate due to erosion (a natural process), augmented by the channelization of the Mississippi River which was once the source of new sediment to build the marshes. And now they're subjected to the insults of oil spills and other threats. But there are ways you can help.

Posted February 12

Good news for tarpon - hopeful for a juvenile habitat restoration project in Florida.

Not so great news for wild salmon. And covered in a second publication.

The debate over the connection between responsible fishing and sustainable fisheries continues, even in the old country.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more about how the designation of American sturgeon as an endangered species will impact numerous coastal activities. These 'unintended consequences' can largely be avoided if we can become more proactive in our resource and fisheries management. There's already talk along these lines.

Shipping vs fisheries: the Asian carp battles in the Great Lakes continue. Many of the Great Lakes are already a soup of invasive species, and unless the regulators get their act together, there's not going to be much left to fish for.

Anglers in Maine seem to be getting it - stop stocking, put effort into habitat restoration instead.

 

Posted February 5

We were able to get permission to post the text from the Plenary Speech by Dr. Aaron Adams at the Florida Outdoor Writers Association Annual Meeting in 2011. The speach was a call to action for outdoor writers to do a better job of educating anglers, hunters, and others about the need for conservation. The speech was given at the Annual Meeting dinner on August 24, 2011.

Posted February 4

As if we needed a reminder that habitat degradation has been a problem for a long time, a piece in the Buffalo News.

A call to action from Patagonia to add your voice to the call to remove obsolete dams on America's rivers as a restoration tool.

Posted February 3

Letting natural processes help make habitat restoration possible - this time with beavers.

The effort to designate redfish, spotted seatrout, and striped bass gamefish in North Carolina continues.

just because their seem to be more redfish in northern Florida, one has to question the recent increase in allowable catch of 2 per person per day. If the history of fisheries management has taught us anything, it's that trying to maximize the harvest deosn't work, leaves no cushion for error, and typically has led to population declines. Plus, maximizing harvest (referred to in fisheries management as Maximum Sustainable Yield) is about quantity of harvest, not quality of the fishery.

 

Posted February 1

Seriously? As if the assaults on fishing weren't bad enough already. Now there's a bill in the Florida Legislature (HB 1103/SB 1362) that will reduce access to and the fishability of Florida's fresh water rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams. Currently, the law is that private ownership stops at the high water mark, which means that an angler can reasonably fish. This new bill would extend private ownership to the low water mark, making many freshwater areas no-access for anglers. If you live in Florida and fish in freshwater, contact your representative.

A couple of articles about the National Marine Fisheries Service's new effort to gather better data on recreational fishing. An improvement is definitely needed, so it's good to see the effort. Time will tell if this will do the trick. Article 1. Article 1.

Puget Sound - the state working toward habitat conservation.

Posted January 31

A presentation by Dr. Aaron Adams on Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Restoration will be held at Boca Grande, FL on February 2 at 2pm.

Speaking of Boca Grande, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is having a fundraising auction Friday, February 3. You should be there.

Belize did a great thing by passing legislation to make bonefish, tarpon, and permit catch and release only to protect the fisheries and the significant economy they support. But they are having serious problems with poaching and lack of enforcement. Read the article, and read the comment below the article to learn how you can help stop this.

Via Moldychum:

A good article on humanity's apparent lack of concern for species going extinct on a good web site - YaleEnvironment360.

Poorly planned development (wait, did I just say that?) is impinging on Colorado water more than it should. The water wars are ramping up, which sucks for fishing and everything else, for that matter.

Via Midcurrent:

Yet another perspective on why we need to support public lands and the funds that support them.

Another article on fracking. At least this one reports that someone is starting to get it. Prediction (and not a bold one) - within a couple decades the large scale, true negative impacts of fracking are going to be so clear, people are going to say "why did they let them do that?" as they fight to find enough safe drinking water.

Posted January 30

Good news for Pacific Northwest Salmon - a conservation group purchased stream-side land to restore habitat for juvenile salmon. This type of activity is going to have to become more common if we are to save our fisheries. Too often, government agencies are either underfunded or given different marching orders, and the habitats (and thus the fish and fisheries) suffer. And to think there are politicians who are actively seeking to force the sale of all public lands to the private sector...a real recipe for disaster for fishing and hunting.

A nice editorial about why fishing and hunting licenses are a good thing.

Battles over water - quality and quality - for fisheries will become more frequent, more widespread. If not already affecting your fisheries, this issue soon will. Don't let it happen to you, and if it does - fight back.

The ironic thing about this story of funding for fish and wildlife habitat vs levee construction is that if they hadn't screwed things up in the first place, there would be no need for funding for habitat protection and restoration. Just like preventative medicine is more effective and cheaper than emergency room care, not screwing up the habitats in the first place makes economic sense. Yet over and over again the short-sighted just don't get it.

Help Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and get a chance to win cool gear and a top-end fishing trip.
BTT Gear Giveaway graphic

 

Posted January 23

Restoration that helps mangroves help fish. Gotta like this story. From the Fort Myers News-Press in Florida. Or watch a video news story.

Individuals can make a difference.

A familiar story: habitat vs water use.

Whether or not you agree with the bigger picture views in this story, it is worth noting that recreational fishing tourism has huge economic impact in poorer regions. For example, anglers traveling to the Bahamas to fish for bonefish generate $141 million annualy for the archipelago nation. Just conserve the habitats and have a sustainable economy.

There can never be too much habitat conservation. Here's another one.

Fly fishing + youth education + conservation = good stuff.

There has to be a better way of farming fish for human consumption. Current methods don't cut it.

One of these days we'll learn to try our damndest to keep invasive species out in the first place, before the damage is done. Carp strike again.

 

Posted January 16

More activity from the National Fishing in Schools Program, this from a recent email blast:

The NAtional Fishing in Schools Program is excited to cooperate with Ryan Combs, Instructor of Biology at Neosho High School and Crowder College, to bring a 2 Day NFSP Teacher Training to southwestern Missouri, February 14th & 15th.  If your school, organization or institution is interested in participating and/or supporting “Fishing in Schools”, or you simply want to learn more about the "Cast A Fly, Catch A Student" curriculum of NFSP, please join us.  There is no obligation to commit to the program before, or after, your training.

This session is for the purpose of conducting NFSP Level 2 Teacher Trainer Certification, NFSP Level 1 Teacher Certification and NFSP Mentor Certification

To register, please visit our website, NFSP Training Registration.  The cost is $50 per day.  This training fee is credited back to your school/organization when a Curriculum Kit is purchases.  If you have questions, please give me a call.

Katie M. Cole, Program Manager
National Fishing in Schools Program
3601 Calvert Street
Suite 26
Lincoln, NE 68506
970-708-9373
katiemcole@flyfishinginschools.org
www.flyfishinginschools.org

The National Fishing in Schools Program continues to expand.  We’d like to provide this unique educational opportunity to students in your area.  Please contact us with any questions you may have about the program and how to bring NFSP to your region/state/school district/school.

See one of the Program's videos

Posted January 15

A fantastic program to get more kids involved in fly fishing, and teach them about responsible fishing, conservation, and more - Fly Fishing In Schools

Another land purchase to protect fish habitat. This one in Florida, as reported in the Fort Myers News-Press.

Which fish to eat? A new movie provides some clues.

Posted January 11, 2012

More than $20 million in grants to conserve coastal wetlands
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday $20.5 million in grants to support 24 projects in 13 states to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and their fish and wildlife habitat. The grants, awarded under the 2012 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, will be matched by nearly $21 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.

“Coastal wetlands serve as some of nature's most productive fish and wildlife habitat while providing storm protection, improved water quality, and abundant recreational opportunities for local communities,” Salazar said. “I am pleased that with these grants we are able to help our state partners implement some of their high-priority projects that support both conservation and recreation along their coasts.”

The grants will be used to acquire, restore, or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include Alaska, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue-money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

The grants support President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative for conservation, recreation and reconnecting people to the outdoors. A recent 50-State Report lists more than 100 of the country's most promising projects-a result of 50 meetings with governors and stakeholders held by Salazar and other senior Interior officials to solicit ideas on how to best implement AGO in their states-including two projects that will be supported by yesterday's grants. These two projects are:

Bird Island Cove Estuarine Habitat Restoration Project: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was awarded a $1 million grant to protect and restore coastal and estuarine barrier island habitats in West Galveston Bay along the north shoreline of Galveston Island, Texas. The project will restore approximately 70 acres of estuarine marsh complex, which will provide additional protection to the existing intertidal marsh that has been degraded by the effects of relative sea level rise.

Thousand Acre Marsh Wetland Protection Project: The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife and Delaware's Open Space Program will acquire the 194-acre Yardley-Dale property, part of the Thousand Acre Marsh along the Delaware River in New Castle County. The Thousand Acre Marsh is a haven for breeding and wintering waterfowl, waterbirds, muskrat, and fish. The marsh also provides critical wintering habitat for bald eagles.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation's land area yet support a significant number of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species.

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Posted January 11, 2012

Delaware awarded nearly $1 million to protect critical coastal wetlands
Read the full story in the Newark Post