![]() ![]() “The use of descending devices and proper fish handling techniques is important to reduce post-release mortality and ensure the sustainability of these species.” “Discard mortality from hook and line release is one of the primary management concerns for snapper-grouper species,” says McLean Seward, a fisheries biologist with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. “They don’t like to see fish that float off dead.” South Atlantic.Ĭhristina Wiegand, a fisheries social scientist at SAFMC, says the council hears a lot from fishers who get frustrated with “regulatory discards” - mandated catch and release fish. How to use a Seaqualizer descending device:Īnglers themselves were the first to advocate for descending device regulations in the U.S. The project empowers commercial, for-hire, and recreational anglers to provide details about released shallow-water grouper and red snapper using the mobile app SciFish. Withers, a citizen-science project coordinator at SAFMC, is also measuring public participation in the SAFMC Release project. ![]() They also visit small tackle shops and other venues to provide information and get feedback. This regulation covers federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West.Īll along the Southeast coast, Oliver and Withers use descending devices while fishing with local anglers and media, working with charter captains - like Piland of the Good Times - as ambassadors for safe release. The device must also be attached to a minimum of 16 ounces of weight and a minimum of 60 feet of line. When released, these fish cannot swim down to their original depth and often float at the surface, where they make an easy meal for sharks and other opportunistic predators.įortunately, anglers can use descending devices to return fish back to their original depths, where the increased water pressure will recompress them, significantly increasing their chances of survival after release.Īs of July 2020, any recreational angler, commercial angler, or charter boat must have a descending device on board and readily available when fishing for snapper-grouper species. Runde.Ī fish in this condition is easy to identify by its protruding stomach, bulging eyes, bloated belly, and sluggish swimming. ![]() ![]() The sudden change in pressure from pulling up one of these fish can cause the gasses in its body to expand, resulting in “barotrauma.”Ī small snowy grouper with barotrauma. Many reef fishes targeted by anglers - like red snapper - are found at depths greater than 50 feet. Watch a red grouper with barotrauma recompress as a SeaQualizer descender device returns the fish to its original depth. “What we’re really trying to do is reduce the number of potential dead fish through education,” Oliver says. The cumulative effects from catch and release can greatly impact overall populations. The process of capturing and handling fish can result in injuries or death which presents a major conservation issue for some fisheries. While releasing fish can help conserve their populations, there is more to it than simply tossing them back in the water. “With more people moving to the coast and fishing the coastal waters, more fish are being caught and released,” says Oliver, a communication fellow with the South Atlantic Sea Grants and SAFMC. Oliver and Withers both work for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and are traveling along the Carolina, Georgia, and Florida coasts to talk with anglers about best catch and release fishing practices. When the fish are brought aboard, Oliver and Withers quickly dehook, measure, and release them with the aid of a descending device, a newly required piece of fishing gear in the South Atlantic - and the catalyst for their trip. They furiously reel each fish up from the depths while fighting to keep their balance on the slick, rocking deck of the Good Times. Credit Sea Grant/SAFMCĪ few hours later and twenty miles offshore, Oliver and Withers are hooked up on a couple of large red snapper. Oliver (left) prepares to release a red snapper with a descending device. ![]()
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