Breaking News Closed Season on Snook...

Fishaddict · Post by **Fishaddict** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:55 pm

FWC responds to widespread cold-weather saltwater fish kills

January 15, 2010
Contact: Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554

* Executive Order 10-02 (Dead Fish) PDF file
* Executive Order 10-03 (Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish) PDF file

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued executive orders to protect Florida's snook, bonefish and tarpon fisheries from further harm caused by the recent prolonged cold weather in the state, which has caused widespread saltwater fish kills. The FWC has received numerous reports from the public and is taking action to address the conservation needs of affected marine fisheries. The orders also will allow people to legally dispose of dead fish in the water and on the shore.

One of the executive orders temporarily extends closed fishing seasons for snook statewide until September. It also establishes temporary statewide closed seasons for bonefish and tarpon until April because of the prolonged natural cold weather event that caused significant, widespread mortality of saltwater fish in Florida. The other order temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.

"A proactive, precautionary approach is warranted to preserve our valuable snook, bonefish and tarpon resources, which are among Florida's premier game fish species," said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. "Extending the snook closed season and temporarily closing bonefish and tarpon fishing will protect surviving snook that spawn in the spring and will give our research scientists time to evaluate the extent of damage that was done to snook, bonefish and tarpon stocks during the unusual cold-weather period we recently experienced in Florida."

Snook season currently is closed in Florida under regular FWC rules, and there are also regular closed snook seasons that occur in the summer. However, the FWC executive order extends the statewide snook closed seasons continuously through Aug. 31 and provides that no person may harvest or possess snook in state and federal waters off Florida during this period unless the fishery is opened sooner or the closure is extended by subsequent order.

The order also establishes a temporary prohibition on the harvest and possession of bonefish and tarpon from state and federal waters off Florida through March 31, unless these fisheries are opened sooner or the closures are extended by subsequent order. The FWC executive order for the snook, bonefish and tarpon closed seasons takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 16.

The other FWC executive order temporarily removes specific harvest regulations for all dead saltwater fish of any species that have died as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather in Florida waters. It also modifies general methods of taking dead saltwater fish from Florida's shoreline and from the water to allow the collection of saltwater fish by hand, cast net, dip net or seine.

All people taking dead saltwater fish under the provisions of this order may not sell, trade or consume such fish, and the dead fish must immediately be disposed of in compliance with local safety, health and sanitation requirements for such disposal.

In addition, all people taking dead fish under the provisions of this order are not required to possess a saltwater fishing license, and all fish taken under the provisions of this executive order shall be those that have died as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather.

This FWC executive order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 16 and will expire at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 1, unless it is repealed sooner or extended by subsequent order.

go to http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/statewide/ ... Kills1.htm ... for more info.

DaveR · Post by **DaveR** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:02 pm

Excellent!

finatic · Post by **finatic** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:14 pm

Great but, I'm sure poachers will twist this around.
"I was taking the snook to properly dispose them." -and they don't need a license.

CooKnFish · Post by **CooKnFish** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:10 am

Who is going to check to see if the fish were filleted before being disposed?
And what's the big deal closing bonefish and tarpon? How is closing season on a fish that is not being harvested to any great extent going to do anything to preserve the fishery?
I applaud the efforts and concerns but really, if ya wanna help, lets get some people out there on the water to enforce these regs because it's only illegal if you get caught.

Walt · Post by **Walt** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:14 am

I was @ the 59th st boatramp yesterday. The water was very clear, and I saw 20-30 recently fileted snook sitting on the bottom.

DaveR · Post by **DaveR** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:59 am

For once the government got it's head out of it's ass and did a good thing in a fairly swift manner by gov. standards. I'm sure the snook closure wasn't an easy thing to do for a bureaucrat. The bonefish and tarpon closure seems more symbolism over substance to me. They are rarely kept anymore and there isn't a prohibition on fishing for them.
By now most of the fish that were going to succumb have done so I would hope. It surely is tragic from all accounts I have heard and read. I haven't harvested a snook in over 5 years. Looks like I won't for a long time to come either.

seeinred · Post by **seeinred** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:47 am

CooKnFish wrote: I applaud the efforts and concerns but really, if ya wanna help, lets get some people out there on the water to enforce these regs because it's only illegal if you get caught.

I agree with Cook, FWC is extremely under staffed and can never be in all the places they need to be at once. It's our job as anglers to do everything we can to protect the resource that we enjoy so much.

TerryW · Post by **TerryW** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:54 pm

DaveR wrote:For once the government got it's head out of it's ass and did a good thing in a fairly swift manner by gov. standards. I'm sure the snook closure wasn't an easy thing to do for a bureaucrat. The bonefish and tarpon closure seems more symbolism over substance to me. They are rarely kept anymore and there isn't a prohibition on fishing for them.
By now most of the fish that were going to succumb have done so I would hope. It surely is tragic from all accounts I have heard and read. I haven't harvested a snook in over 5 years. Looks like I won't for a long time to come either.

Right on DaveR.

btw - Some Bahamians and I think Haitians and others eat bonefish. It's actually quite tasty but a waaaaay big hassle to get the tiny bones out.

MrSpectaculous · Post by **MrSpectaculous** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:55 pm

It's always been "closed season" on my boat.

loukiii · Post by **loukiii** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:57 pm

TerryW wrote:btw - Some Bahamians and I think Haitians and others eat bonefish. It's actually quite tasty but a waaaaay big hassle to get the tiny bones out.

You and the Bahamians really should give the poor Haitians a break. They are presently having a pretty rough time.

TerryW · Post by **TerryW** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:42 pm

loukiii wrote:
TerryW wrote:btw - Some Bahamians and I think Haitians and others eat bonefish. It's actually quite tasty but a waaaaay big hassle to get the tiny bones out.
You and the Bahamians really should give the poor Haitians a break. They are presently having a pretty rough time.

Funny guy.

Fishaddict · Post by **Fishaddict** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:37 pm

Snook and Bonefish are persona non grata on my boat. I haven't caught any ... They are pretty though.. Someone said they tasted like soap...

Todd · Post by **Todd** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:51 pm

Fishaddict wrote:Snook and Bonefish are persona non grata on my boat. I haven't caught any ... They are pretty though.. Someone said they tasted like soap...

30 years ago or so snook were known as "soapfish" because they tasted like soap when cooked. All was good until someone realized that if you take the skin off they are excellent eating.

krash · Post by **krash** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:39 am

MPO, while this sounds good to us its a knee jerk reaction that will have little effect.

Most law obiding fisher-persons would not keep or harm a Bonefish or Tarpon. Tarpon require a kill tag to be attached even if you just take it out of the water for a photo. Bonefish are not easy to catch and them what do are all over catch and release.

Snook, take a minute and think about that one, there is already a slot and take seasons. Just how many Snook do you actually take during the season ? Not even a small dent in the Snook population is taken legally.

The yahoo's who were illegally poaching before, catch and filet, cast net or spear them, will not even read or be aware there is an new ordinace that says they are still illegally taking the fish.

Fishaddict · Post by **Fishaddict** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:10 pm

Please see the FWC Update
posted Jan 17th on this forum for complete explanation...

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FishingDL · Post by **FishingDL** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:47 pm

it would be nice if they could use the additional money from new fishing license requirements to hire a few more officers.