In August 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) created temporary, precautionary regulation changes to help conserve snook, redfish and spotted seatrout in southwest Florida. The “catch-and-release only” measures from Pasco to Collier Counties were designed to help conserve these species after “a prolonged red tide that occurred in late 2017 through early 2019,” according to the FWC.
Those measures are about to expire, and the FWC is looking for local input. Commission staff will hold three virtual workshops to gather public input about the short-term management of these three species; they want to hear your ideas on management and learn from local fisherfolk about how these species are faring.
Workshops start at 6 p.m. and each webinar will be tailored to a specific area:
Charlotte Harbor area and – April 5.
Sarasota Bay area – April 6.
Tampa Bay area and north – April 8.
To participate, connect here at the specified date and time: FWC.adobeconnect.com/redtide. The virtual workshops will also be posted online in the near future on the workshop page.
