$75,000 Bone Fish

[headscan]

http://www.keysnet.com/2010/09/11/257058/b...protection.html

 

Interesting way to get more protection for a fish while tying its value directly to angling. Maybe someone should try the same math on some western Canadian fish...

[reevesr1]

Strange to me that Tarpon, bonefish, or permit would be considered anything other than catch and release. They are useless as table fare. I guess people are just keeping them for mounts? Since most of the people targeting these fish are doing so pretty much just for sport, you would think it wouldn't be hard to implement a 0 bag limit. But I'm sure if it was easy, it would have already been done.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Strange to me that Tarpon, bonefish, or permit would be considered anything other than catch and release. They are useless as table fare. I guess people are just keeping them for mounts? Since most of the people targeting these fish are doing so pretty much just for sport, you would think it wouldn't be hard to implement a 0 bag limit. But I'm sure if it was easy, it would have already been done.

 

When in Belize there were groups of Americans fishing. They were going into shore to catch and kill bonefish to use as bait on the reef. A freaking waste if you asked me.

 

My guide however said the locals will eat bonefish no problem. They debone them and make fish balls out of the meat. He did say that they were not a "preferred" fish to eat. They eat lots of baracuda

[headscan]

Strange to me that Tarpon, bonefish, or permit would be considered anything other than catch and release. They are useless as table fare. I guess people are just keeping them for mounts? Since most of the people targeting these fish are doing so pretty much just for sport, you would think it wouldn't be hard to implement a 0 bag limit. But I'm sure if it was easy, it would have already been done.

The management plan they're talking about in the article isn't just about C&R vs killing your limit, it's also about spawning habitat and bycatch from commercial fishing.

[Giovanne]

Many years ago I ate Permit when in the Keys, excellent fish.

 

Why shouly Bonefish, Tarpon, and Permit have a zero bag limit?

 

I can understand better protection, reduced bag limits, special seasons, but a zero bag limit just because it is considered a "sport fish" makes no sense.

 

 

[reevesr1]

Many years ago I ate Permit when in the Keys, excellent fish.

 

Why shouly Bonefish, Tarpon, and Permit have a zero bag limit?

 

I can understand better protection, reduced bag limits, special seasons, but a zero bag limit just because it is considered a "sport fish" makes no sense.

 

To me, at least on the US Gulf Coast, there are so many better food options why would anyone want to eat a bonefish, permit, or tarpon? Add that to the fact that the fish that are good to eat are so much easier to catch. If you think of the fish as an economic resource, then keeping makes even less sense.

 

Closing for spawning is an interesting topic. Far as I know, there is no sport fish on the gulf coast that is closed specifically for spawning. They do close the snapper season in federal waters (or maybe it's state, I forget), but I think that is just a method of reducing total catch, not to protect spawning fish. I could be wrong. But other than that, I can think of no spawning closures. Nor do I personally know anyone I've ever fished with down there who avoid fishing for spawning fish (Texas and La. gulf coasts). The big redfish runs every year in September/October is targeting fish coming in to the bay systems to spawn. We used to night fish for speckled trout in the summer on full moons because they were spawning. Problem with trout is they spawn all summer long. Though I would not imagine that is the case for tarpon, being so migratory, I would not be surprised to learn bonefish or permit are season long spawners. Many saltwater fish are, again, from what I've been told as opposed to scientific knowledge.

 

Bycatch- Tough subject for me since I spent a big hunk of my life shrimping. I will say we rarely ever caught gamefish in the net. But I know that isn't the case everywhere, with all species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[headscan]

Rick, not talking about spawning closures either but rather protection of spawning habitat and that sort of thing. I don't believe their plan is talking about "all or none" but just better protection all around. In any case, my purpose for posting wasn't so much to debate their plans as it was about someone doing a similar sort of study about the value of a single steelhead, east slope cutt, or even bow river brown to make the powers that be realize that yes, these fish do have more value than they think in terms of tourism dollars and maybe it's worthwhile to spend some money to protect them better in terms of enforcement, water usage, etc. while not implementing complete angling bans as that would decrease the value of the fish.

[reevesr1]

Rick, not talking about spawning closures either but rather protection of spawning habitat and that sort of thing. I don't believe their plan is talking about "all or none" but just better protection all around. In any case, my purpose for posting wasn't so much to debate their plans as it was about someone doing a similar sort of study about the value of a single steelhead, east slope cutt, or even bow river brown to make the powers that be realize that yes, these fish do have more value than they think in terms of tourism dollars and maybe it's worthwhile to spend some money to protect them better in terms of enforcement, water usage, etc. while not implementing complete angling bans as that would decrease the value of the fish.

Sorry for sidetracking Marc. As I plan to retire in Fla, I found it interesting.