"Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) has long championed research and conservation of bonefish, tarpon and their habitats as a means to protect healthy fisheries, restore fisheries that have declined, and ensure healthy fisheries for the future," says Dr Aaron Adams, Executive Director of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and lead author of the paper. "BTT is pleased that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) hosted the expert group to conduct this global review, which will greatly assist research and conservation efforts, and bring these species the attention they deserve."

Bonefishes and tarpon species support recreational fisheries that have significant economic impacts, including lucrative fishing destinations that have supported coastal communities for generations. The review found that bonefish and tarpon populations appear most stable in regions supporting economically valuable destination and catch-and-release fisheries. This new information will be invaluable in helping governments make decisions that will safeguard the future of these species and fisheries which hold interest from recreational fishing stakeholders.

"Local fishermen have a strong economic incentive to support conservation, as the economic impact of a fish released numerous times during its lifespan exceeds the monetary value of its protein," says Dr Andrij Horodysky, Assistant Professor at Hampton University and co-author of the paper. "The establishment of similar fisheries in developing nations may provide an economic incentive to promote conservation while simultaneously supporting local development and infrastructure that attracts conservation minded anglers."

For many coastal fish species, the challenges for conservation and management go beyond addressing the threats posed by habitat loss and habitat degradation that occur worldwide. An additional and much more pressing threat is an overall lack of information on things as basic as abundance, habitat use and harvest. This global review demonstrates that tarpons, bonefishes, and ladyfishes frequently suffer from all these threats, greatly inhibiting the formulation of conservation and management plans.

"Although some of these species have survived millions of years of evolution on this planet, their greatest challenges may lie ahead, as habitat loss and coastal development continue to increase," says Professor Kent Carpenter, manager of the IUCN Global Species Programme Marine Biodiversity Unit. "Given the wide distributions of many tarpons, bonefishes and ladyfishes, regional conservation initiatives and management plans should be initiated wherever they are possible."

Given the economic and cultural importance of these species throughout their geographic ranges, more attention must be given to gathering information needed for the management of these species and addressing known threats, particularly in developing nations. This review provides the foundation from which such efforts may be launched. Funding for this work was provided by the Moore Family Foundation.

To receive a full copy of the scientific article, please send an email to info@bonefishtarpontrust.org.

Southwest Coast
A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, persists in some parts of southwest Florida, with the highest concentrations detected this week alongshore of Charlotte County and offshore of Lee County. Very low to medium concentrations were patchy alongshore and inshore of Sarasota County and very low to low concentrations were found in the Pine Island Sound system (Lee County).

Bloom Boundary
The red tide currently affects about 70 miles of the southwest Florida coast, extending alongshore and inshore of Sarasota County south through the middle of Lee County.

Northwest Coast
Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in samples collected this week alongshore of Bay, Wakulla or Dixie counties or offshore of Levy County.

East Coast
Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not found in water samples collected this week in the Indian River Lagoon (Brevard County) or alongshore of Dade County.

You can access this week's interactive Google Map in the attached file.

The FWRI HAB group in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory, have created a facebook page where you can learn about the Florida Red Tide and other Harmful agal blooms. Please visit and like our page today at: http://www.facebook.com/FLHABs

To learn more about other organisms that have been known to cause algal blooms in Florida waters, see our flickr page at (http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfwc) and click on "Harmful Algal Bloom Species".

In order to view this map, you must have Google Earth installed on your computer. The Google Earth software can be downloaded from the Google Earth Web site through the following link: (http://earth.google.com).

This information is also available on our Web site: (http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/statewide/).
The Web site also provides links to additional information related to the topic of Florida red tide including satellite imagery, experimental red tide forecasts, shellfish harvesting areas, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline, the Florida Poison Information Center (to report human health effects related to exposure to red tide), and other wildlife related hotlines: (http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/contact/

Four Florida anglers were recently recognized for their tarpon DNA-collecting prowess during the annual Florida Guides Association meeting in Tampa.

The four collected tarpon DNA samples as part of the ongoing Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study, a partnership between Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory, in conjunction with anglers statewide. The Study uses DNA fingerprinting techniques as a way to track individual tarpon through capture events so that fishery managers can assess and better understand tarpon stocks and movement patterns.

Through the program, which has been in place since 2005, volunteer tarpon anglers have submitted more than 16,500 of the nearly 18,000 samples inventoried in the study's database. In 2012, anglers submitted 4,726 samples - exceeding the project's annual goal of 4,000.

Recipients of The 2012 Florida Guides Association/FWC "Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge" awards were:
Grand Champion - John Mallory, of Merritt Island (975 DNA samples)
Gulf Coast Champion - Capt. Robert McCue, of Ellenton (216 samples)
Florida Keys Champion - Capt. Paul D'Antoni, of Key West (118 samples)
Atlantic Coast Champion - Capt. Carl Ball, of Fort Lauderdale (94 samples)

The winners received framed certificates signed by Capt. Pat Kelly, president of the Florida Guides Association, and Kenneth W. Wright, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, along with a tackle bag of goodies donated by O'Keefs Reef, Castalia Outdoor Products, DOA Lures, StickIt Anchor Pins, High Roller Lures, Guideline EyeGear and TackleWebs.

Interestingly, one recreational angler also turned the awards around. Martin Gutfreund, of Bradenton, came up with the idea of giving a trophy thanking the Genetic Recapture Study staff and volunteers for their efforts to help protect and conserve tarpon. His handwritten note that accompanied the trophy he mailed to FWC's St. Petersburg office stated: "Tarpon Genetics Team: You all came in first place in 2012 for the great work you did on the tarpon project."

"I think the work the team is doing is just spectacular and, for tarpon fishermen, this is something to really get behind," Gutfreund said.

Mote and FWC thank the hundreds of anglers who contribute to the success of this valuable research each year. And we thank Martin for the pat on the back, too!

February 18 deadline to make your voice heard.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has embarked on a process to potentially declare some conservation lands as surplus, and subsequently sell or trade them, or dedicate lands to uses other than the conservation purposes for which they were purchased.

Unlike the Land Assessments recently conducted by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Southwest Florida Water Management District, the staff at SFWMD is not releasing information that reveals which parcels may be proposed to be declared surplus.

Instead, SFWMD is starting by asking for public comments on ALL of its conservation land holdings.

This presents a certain danger, in that it is possible the district could interpret "no response" from the public in regard to a particular parcel as "disinterest", or an indication that the public, environmental and conservation organizations, do not care enough about that parcel to comment. Such parcels where "people don't seem to care" could be at a greater risk for surplus disposal.

SFWMD is dividing the district up into several "Land Assessment Regions", and is starting the evaluation in the northern reaches of the district, in the "Northern Lakes" district which consists of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes area in Orange, Osceola, and Polk Counties.

We at Audubon Florida believe all of the listed properties should be retained in public ownership as conservation land; they constitute the true "Headwaters of the Everglades".

Properties being studied for possible surplus declaration include the Lake Tibet-Butler Preserve, the Shingle Creek floodplain properties in Orange County and Osceola County, the Lake Marion Creek and Reedy Creek floodplain tracts in Osceola and Polk Counties, and the SUMICA conservation area in Polk County.

Comments on these properties are being solicited until the end of business on February 18, 2013.

It is essential that the SFWMD receive substantial comments from numerous organizations and individuals evaluating these properties and recommending their retention as Conservation Lands. Comments should expressly recommend that properties not be declared surplus, and should state in particular why retention of these properties serves the "core missions" of the SFWMD: Flood Control, Water Quality protection/improvements, Water Supply, Natural Resource protection and restoration.

Please note: comments must be submitted through the electronic forms on the District's web page. You can access the web page, review detailed descriptions and many photographs of each of the properties, and submit comments by clicking here.

SFWMD staff will host a public meeting to provide information on the land assessment process and SFWMD lands within the Upper Lakes region.

February 12, 2013 at 2 p.m.
SFWMD St. Cloud Field Station
3800 Old Canoe Creek Road
St. Cloud, FL 34769

NOAA has added a new service to alert the public when red tides threaten human health at Tampa Bay area beaches. The new alert is timely since many of southwest Florida's beaches are experiencing or are under threat of red tide.

The alert is part of a broader experimental initiative NOAA's National Weather Service has been testing since June 2012, called the "Beach Hazards Statement," which also alerts the public for coastal hazards such as rip currents. The Tampa Bay weather forecast office is the first to issue the Beach Hazards Statements for harmful algal blooms to provide coastal residents and visitors with information to protect their safety. NWS is partnering with NOAA's National Ocean Service to provide these alerts to the public.

"Red tides can have significant environmental impacts and threaten the health of some people," said Richard Edwing, director of NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. "Currently, the National Ocean Service forecasts harmful algal blooms to give state and local organizations advanced warning and therefore more options to manage the impacts. Through this partnership with the National Weather Service, we can broaden public awareness about harmful algal blooms, their potential impacts and possible precautionary measures."

Red tide can cause acute respiratory problems for people, especially those suffering from asthma, emphysema or other chronic respiratory disorder. The Tampa Bay weather forecast office will issue a Beach Hazards Statement for red tide when its sister organization at NOAA's National Ocean Service forecasts a potential for moderate or high respiratory impacts along southwest Florida, extending from Levy County south to Lee County.

Red tide is the common term for the harmful algal bloom species,

Karenia brevis. NOAA's National Ocean Service has been providing operational forecasts for harmful algal blooms of Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico since 2004. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. and the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla. provide NOAA with expertise and data to identify and track harmful algal blooms in the Gulf.

"Beach Hazards Statements for harmful algal blooms will be a valuable supplement to the FWC's statewide red tide status reports," said Gil McRae, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. "We look forward to continuing to share our monitoring information with NOAA to enhance this important resource."

Beach Hazards Statements for the Tampa Bay area are found here, and will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and other National Weather Service systems, for broader dissemination. The public is invited to comment on the usefulness of the Beach

Hazard Statements and to help NOAA evaluate whether the statements should be used in other parts of the country.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at www.noaa.gov and join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

Southwest Coast: A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, spans the coastal waters of southwest Florida between southern Sarasota and Monroe Counties. The highest concentrations were detected this week alongshore of Charlotte and Lee counties, including Pine Island Sound (Lee County), and on the gulf side of the lower Florida Keys (Monroe County). In other regions, concentrations ranged from background to medium.

Bloom Boundary: A bloom of K. brevis extends alongshore of the southwest coast between southern Sarasota and Collier counties and offshore of the lower Florida Keys. Respiratory irritation and multiple fish kills have also been reported this week in the affected areas.

Oceana has announced a major litigation victory that will require stronger accountability through catch monitoring for the New England groundfish fishery. This win establishes the first full count, cap and control fishery in the Northeast and will help restore New England's groundfish populations to healthy levels in future years.

The settlement reached this week promotes better transparency in monitoring catch levels in the groundfish fishery, including discards. It also requires an analysis to determine the level of monitoring needed and the publication of an annual summary of the fishery's monitoring needs for the 2013-15 fishing years. This analysis will be critical in determining how to provide accurate, precise and timely catch reporting.

"This agreement commits the government to fully account for the catch that it regulates," said Eric Bilsky, senior litigator at Oceana. "Our government must strictly monitor and enforce science-based catch limits to prevent wasteful and unsustainable fishing practices."

In 2010, the historic New England groundfish fishery for cod, haddock and flounder transitioned to a new management program that divided the fishery into "sectors." In order for the sector programme to work properly, improved catch monitoring is needed to allow sector managers to halt fishing activity when the number of landed and discarded fish reaches the limit set to prevent overfishing.

Oceana won a victory in 2010 when a federal court ruled that the fishery must demonstrate that discards would be accurately counted, however it soon became clear the discards would not be adequately monitored to ensure accurate counts. Oceana then brought this new legal challenge in 2012 seeking better monitoring.

The agreement reached this week with the federal government will require accurate monitoring to enforce scientifically-based catch limits and help preserve healthy and sustainable ocean ecosystems.

editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

The first meeting of the Joint Committee is a webinar scheduled for February 25, 2013 from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm. The meeting will include a discussion of the purpose and function of the joint committee, as well as discussions on specific South Florida fisheries issues, including:
yellowtail snapper and mutton snapper management
commercial grouper harvest in Monroe County
allocations of fisheries landings in Monroe County
the possibility of establishing a special management unit that allows for consistent state/federal fishery regulations across South Florida.

To register for the webinar visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/323435202.

For additional information on the joint committee and the meeting, contact the Public Information Officer at either Council using the contact information below.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
Charlene Ponce
813.348.1630
Charlene.Ponce@gulfcouncil.org
www.gulfcouncil.org

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Kim Iverson
843.571.4366
Kim.iverson@safmc.net
www.safmc.net

About Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of Mexico.

Lance Gleason of Missoula, Mont., released 15 barracuda measuring a total of 246.5 inches to win the spin division of the two-day 2013 Cuda Bowl Tournament that ended Saturday, Feb. 2, in Key West.

Gleason earned the title of divisional grand champion fishing with Captain Justin Rea of Key West, while Rea was named the division's grand champion guide.

Gleason also scored the most releases in the tournament.

Nathaniel Clark Linville of Key West won the Cuda Bowl's fly division, releasing five barracuda that totaled 184.75 inches. He was guided by Captain Aaron Snell, also of Key West.

Linville and Snell took the division's grand champion angler and guide titles, respectively. In addition, Linville caught the single largest barracuda on fly tackle, a fish measuring 42 inches.

Runner-up in the spin division was Robert Monroe of McCall, Idaho, fishing with Captain Bo Sellers of Summerland Key, Fla. The duo scored 10 barracuda that measured a total of 223 inches.

Jim Knowles of Round Hill, Va., took the runner-up title in the fly division, releasing four barracuda that totaled 163.5 inches. His guide was Captain Peter Heydon of Key West.

The tournament's largest barracuda on spin tackle, at 46.5 inches, was caught by Tom del Bosque of Plantation, Fla., fishing with Captain Mike Pollack of Key West.

The flats challenge drew 36 anglers fishing on 23 boats.


Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-FLA-KEYS
Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • youtube.com/FloridaKeysTV

Workshops: All Workshops 6:00 to 10:00 PM

Sunday March 10, 2013, Florida Sea Grant 2728 E. 14th St. Panama City, FL 850 784-6105

Monday March 11, 2013, Carrabelle City Hall/ Service Complex 1001 Gray Ave Carrabelle, FL 850 697-2727

Tuesday March 12, 2013, FWC Senator Kirkpatrick Marine Lab 11350 SW 153rd Court Cedar Key, FL

Wednesday March 13, 2013, Madeira Beach City Hall Madeira Beach, FL

Thursday March 14, 2013, Sea Grant Office 25550 Harbor View Rd. Port Charlotte, FL

Friday March 15, 2013, Rookery Bay NERR 300 Tower Rd Naples, FL