port st joe area report

[1-850-Bay-Fish]

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites the public to participate in any of nine upcoming workshops regarding management of red drum (redfish) in Florida.

The FWC is seeking comment on its recent red drum stock assessment, which concluded that while the management goal of 30 percent escapement is on target. However, increasing fishing effort could cause the escapement rate to decline below 30 percent by the next assessment in 2009. Escapement is the percentage of fish that avoid harvest by fishers.

A red drum workgroup recently established by the FWC has developed several management recommendations, including narrowing the current 18-27 inches total length slot limit, applying a one-month closure and increasing the management goal to 40 percent escapement. The FWC also is seeking comment from interested persons on those recommendations.

Detailed management options and the workgroup recommendations will be presented at the workshops, which will take place 6-8 p.m. local time as follows
:wednesday, Nov. 15
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
620 S. Meridian St.
Farris Bryant Building
2nd Floor Conference Room
Tallahassee

[Chalk]

Copied from FWC - http://myfwc.com/marine/workgroups/Docs ... 06_min.pdf

I would like to know who some of these folks are....talk of putting signs up to tell regulations or hiring reserves LE to check at the ramps. Stating other states have lower escapement, but nothing wrong with us setting the bar higher

Never see anything sensible like what would a million redfish hatch-lings do to an area to increase escapement? Why not let the public let you know what they think, we will never see that one