Fishing

Largemouth bass in Florida are now their own species, and bear a different name: The Florida bass.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) TrophyCatch program has deployed bright pink research tags in bass across five waters throughout the state: the Northwest Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, Lake Lochloosa, Lake Beauclair, Lake Okeechobee and Porter Lake.

This comes after dozens of meetings with stakeholders, including avian rescue groups, anglers, wildlife conservation groups, pier concessionaires, local and state government representatives, and others.

The new study targets redfish found in waters from St. Augustine to Pensacola and builds on a similar survey released last year that also found bonefish contaminated with pharmaceuticals in the Keys and Biscayne Bay.

State wildlife officials moved to increase protections for pelicans who become entangled in fishing lines at the Sunshine Skyway pier. But many bird advocates say it's not enough.

Redfish are big, brawny fighters and key contributors to Florida’s $13.8 billion recreational fishing industry. But redfish have a weak spot: They faithfully return to the same waters each year to spawn. This past fall, Hurricane Ian and red tide hit West Central Florida at a critical spawning time, delivering a one-two punch to a fish that is back in the conservation spotlight.

Steve Friedman said he "needed a life change.” A passion for environmental activism led him to the water.

A letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says more than 2,300 birds have been rescued over the past two years after they became tangled in fishing lines.

Researchers say Hurricane Ian brought red tide, destroyed artificial reefs from as far away as 30 miles from the coast of southwest Florida, and could impact the state's fishing industry.

Shrimping is the largest piece of Florida’s seafood industry, with a value of almost $52 million in 2016. Now, it’s a matter of when the fishing can resume and whether there will still be experienced crews to operate the boats when that happens.

Florida’s estuaries once teemed with clams, oysters and other bivalves that helped keep waters clean and seagrasses healthy. By the mid-20th century, only a fraction of the state’s vast shellfish beds and reefs remained. Can a small clam make a big difference in serious water pollution hotspots like the Indian River Lagoon?

Hundreds of Florida waters are considered “impaired” for fish consumption. As a result the Florida Department of Health advises that most fish caught in the state’s waters shouldn’t be eaten more than twice a week. But that message does not always get through to subsistence fishers.