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Saltwater and Marine Fisheries Issues

Conservation » Conservation Actions » Saltwater and Marine Fisheries Issues

Saltwater and Marine Fisheries Issues 

Water quality, habitat restoration & protection and proper management plans are as critical to saltwater environments as they are to our freshwater rivers, streams and lakes.

Seagrass beds and coral reefs are particularly fragile environments.  Outboard props operating at high speeds, bottoming of boats and dredging contribute to the loss or degradation of near shore habitats that are important to many marine fishes, crustaceans and other invertebrate species.  Wave action from manmade or natural causes can relocate sand or sediment drastically affecting aquatic bio-systems.  Fertilizer runoff contributes to hazardous algae blooms in estuaries.  Over 8 million tons of garbage and plastic waste are dumped into the oceans each year.  These wastes eventually reach shores and beaches, reefs and estuaries.

Management plans that address forage base trends (e.g. menhaden, etc.), harvest limits, maintaining spawning biomass and reducing mortality of released fish are also necessary to sustainable fisheries.

 

FFI's Actions

  • 04/05/2022 –  Coordinator, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission – Formal Public Comments regarding Draft Amendment 7 of the Interagency Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic Striped Bass. 
     
  • 11/16/2021 – US House Natural Resource Committee – Letter to Representatives Dingell and Mast supporting introduction of the Forage Fish Conservation Act, which will provide mandate and necessary provisions for science-based management of marine forage fishes.
     
  • 8/12/21 - Bycatch Study Funding Request - Letter to Senator Cantwell and Representative Grijalva encouraging funding of a 5-year study of key marine forage fishes to establish necessary base-line data essential to population monitoring and management.
     
  • 1/23/21 - Fishing Closure of Western Dry Rocks Spawning Area - Sent FFI letter to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission supporting the recommendations of the Bonefish Tarpon Trust in amending the proposed closure of fishing in the Western Dry Rocks Spawning Area to 4-months to help ensure successful permit spawning. 
     
  • 11/10/20 - OFFSHORE Act and COASTAL Act - Signed onto letter in support of Opening Federal Financial Sharing to Heighten Opportunities for Renewable Energy Act of 2020 (OFFSHORE Act, S. 2485) and the Conservation of America's Shoreline Terrain and Aquatic Life Act.
     
  • 2/27/20 - Fishing Closure in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Sent FFI letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission supporting establishment of a seasonal no fishing closure at Western Dry Rocks in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to help ensure successful permit spawning.

Let David Peterson of FFI with special Guest Dr. Aaron Adams of Bonefish & Tarpon lead you on a who-done-it of how they are locating critical Bonefish spawning habitat.

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