Sarasota Bay anglers invited to Feb. 4 fisheries forum
Sarasota Bay anglers: Your knowledge can help our fisheries thrive. On Feb. 4, join local marine researchers for the Sarasota Bay Fisheries Forum — an independent, community-based discussion geared toward informing fisheries management and science.
Saltwater recreational fisheries generate more than $6.5 billion per year for Florida’s economy, but they face increasing pressures from fishing, habitat changes and global climate change, along with natural challenges such as cold stress and Florida red tide. Populations of many key fish species have severely declined.
The Sarasota Bay Fisheries Forum — a partnership between Mote Marine Laboratory and University of Florida (UF) funded by Florida Sea Grant — offers repeating, open meetings where local anglers and others interested in sustaining Sarasota’s fisheries can share their knowledge, ideas, questions and comments. The ultimate goal is to pinpoint the needs and status of fisheries in more detail at the local level, allowing communities to give more complete, collaborative and sustained feedback to government agencies and researchers.
“We’re excited for our first forum of the new year,” said Dr. Ken Leber, Senior Scientist at Mote who will be moderating the meeting. “This is a great way for the community who share our same passion of restoring and sustaining our local fisheries to be a part of the change.”
The Feb. 4 meeting will mainly focus on:
- Update on the Sarasota Bay local angler fishing survey, which aims to include information such as the potential for participants to get involved and have a leadership role within the forum
- Review of Sarasota Bay Fisheries Forum action priorities
- Update on the Fishery Forum's first Sarasota Bay "sustainable fisheries-habitat" initiative
- Citizen outreach and focusing on how the community can become more involved
The meeting is geared toward anglers but open to anyone interested in the future of local fisheries.
The meeting is free for participants and takes place from 6 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 on the 3rd floor of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Keating Marine Education Center, 1599 Ken Thompson Parkway on City Island, Sarasota.
RSVP is required by Feb. 2. Contact Paula Clark:941-388-2252, pclark@mote.org
