[dropcap]N[/dropcap]OAA Fisheries is bringing together recreational anglers, charter boat captains and scientists from Maine to North Carolina to share their techniques and devise “best practices” for improving survival of fish that are caught and released in recreational fisheries, The first of these workshops will be co-hosted by The Sportfishing Conservancy and NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary on June 12 in Plymouth, MA at the Hilton Garden Inn from 6:00 – 8:30pm.
Catch and release thoughtfully.
According to NOAA Fisheries statistics, well over half the fish caught today by recreational fishermen are released. Improving the chances that these fish live once released, benefits everyone – recreational and commercial fishermen and the marine ecosystem.
“We each have a lot to learn from each other about safely handling fish so we can improve their chances of survival after they are released,” said Paul Perra, coordinator, recreational fishing program, Northeast Region, NOAA Fisheries. “The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, together with the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation and The Sportfishing Conservancy, have been working on a similar effort so it made sense for us to team up for this first NOAA Fisheries workshop.”
The June 12th workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss safe fish handling, including reducing life-threatening effects of barotrauma (pressure changes) on fish, efforts to minimize interactions between recreational fishing vessels and whales, and ways to improve the science about fish survivability through local cooperative research and use of angler data.
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