While down here for the Miami Boat Show, I met briefly with Aaron Adams of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. We had planned on sitting down for a full interview but outside forces pulled us in different directions. We did get to casually discuss the recent cold-induced carnage in Florida, and he dispensed some staggering information.
Possibly 300,000 adult snook killed, out of an estimated 1.5 million adults total. That’s a huge percentage. Plus, he speculated that possibly two entire year classes of juvenile tarpon that come of age in the mangroves have been wiped out. Plus damage to turtle grass beds and mangroves that could take years to recover.
The thought I took away from it is, extend the catch-and-release only fishing for snook indefinitely. At least until more real numbers come out as to what happened and how long it will take to bounce back.
Thanks Pete – haven’t been able to get any numbers from anyone yet – Also heard that the bonefish population in the Keys was decimated – washing up on the beach by the hundreds….but haven’t had any confirmation.
I know thats a long ways from my fishing grounds, but no less distressing to read about here and other places. It sounds like you have the right idea, catch and release only, give the species a chance to recover from the devestation.
Yeah the numbers are pretty scary. Forgot to ask about the bonefish, hope that’s not true.
I’m sure that it will be a decade till fishing has rebounded in Florida, and by that time I bet we will be talking about other fishing travesties in the area.