Photo: Striped bass w/menhaden, by John McMurray. Fisheries management is based on a single-species approach. Stock assessments are done, annual catch limits (ACLs) are applied, and we know how many fish can be taken from the resource, leaving enough to produce a stable population for years to come. The single-species approach is effective in many […]
A few weeks ago, an EF 2 tornado ripped through a quiet little town on a small island in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The tornado pushed ashore in the middle of the night with a fury. There was no time for warnings. The tight-knit community that bore the brunt of the damage […]
There’s been a dramatic shift in fisheries lately, and folks should be aware of how the changes could alter the future of our public resource. Namely, the word “economics” slowly started to creep into the fisheries management conversation several years ago. The concept of economics is covered in the National Standard 8: Conservation and management […]
Photo by John McMurray From the outside looking in, fisheries management can appear complicated and frustrating. There are many sectors with different agendas. Each sector wants rules that are friendly to their position relative to the best available science and their opinions. I’ve sat in countless council meetings, commissions, and workgroups over the years. It […]
Everglades photo via Wikipedia For many years, it was my job to figure out what anglers cared about and represent their concerns to various decision makers. We used internet polls, face to face meetings, and questionnaires to see what really mattered to recreational anglers in Maryland. In 2012, the main areas of concern for Chesapeake […]
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board meets November 14th – Mark Your Calendars – Your Voice Needed For decades, numerous coastal communities in the Chesapeake Bay were alive and vibrant. Charter captains and recreational anglers would leave from ports like Solomon’s Island, Point Lookout, Breezy Point, and Tilghman Island in Maryland every day in search of a […]
Are we losing our conservation ethic in fisheries management? Many years ago, I made a promise to my friend and mentor Lefty Kreh. Lefty is a hero of mine since childhood. My friend, Kent Tidy, was kind enough to introduce us in the 90’s. One of the first times we met, we were upstairs in […]
Red snapper photo courtesy of Charles Witek The state of Louisiana is embracing innovation and technology as a way to improve red snapper management. On Thursday May 25, Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife (LDFW) released a press statement detailing a pilot program for red snapper management in the recreational sector. This test program, in […]
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