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2012 FishSmart Workshop | Gulf of Mexico/South Atlantic

April 11-13, 2012
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, Florida

Executive Summary
Final Report
Agenda

Workshop Goals:

Specific to the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries being constrained by high release mortality:

  1. Identify best practices and equipment to employ by anglers/for-hire and regulatory agencies in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic to increase the survival of angler-sought saltwater fishes, with emphasis on reef fishes under a variety of conditions/fisheries.
  2. Develop outline for messages directed to anglers/for-hire to employ in their interaction with saltwater species in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
  3. Provide guidance to management bodies to reduce the interaction and lethality of such interactions, with those species by anglers/for-hire through the consideration of management actions such as time/area closures, gear modifications, restrictions/usage and size restrictions and account for and incorporate release mortality/survivability into the regulatory process in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
  4. Identify gaps in the current state of knowledge in need of additional research efforts/funding in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.

Wednesday, April 11: Plenary

8:00 Welcome & Logistics

8:10 Introduction – Miles Croom, Deputy Regional Administrator, NOAA Fisheries

8:30 FishSmart Initiative – Gil Radonski/Andrew Loftus

8:50 Overview of Atlanta Workshop Results/Gulf and South Atlantic Results of FMP Analysis  - GilRadonski/ Andrew Loftus

9:10 Framing the Issue of Release Mortality in the Gulf and South Atlantic - Steve Theberge

10:00 Break

10:15 Framing Regional Recreational Fisheries Impacted by High Release Mortality

11:00 Current State of Research into Recreational Fisheries Impacted by High Release Mortality summarize current research projects ongoing (15 minutes each)

11:30 Questions/Discussion

Noon Lunch

1:00 Overview of Issues specific to the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic recreational fisheries being constrained by high release mortality: (30 minutes each)

(Note; we will have someone from NOAA’s Protected Resources program on hand to answer questions on Speaker: policy implications of Marine Mammal interactions as they relate to release issues.)

3:00 Break

3:15 Introducing recompression gear to anglers in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic – Bryan Fluech and John Stevely, Florida Sea Grant

3:45 Questions/Discussion

4:00 Panel Discussion on Avoidance: Management techniques and Fishing Techniques designed to prevent encounters of unwanted species/sizes.

5:00 Adjourn

 

Thursday, April 12

8:00 Announcements and Breakout Instructions

Attendees will be assigned to one of two breakout groups. The purpose of each break out group is to delve into the current state of knowledge of each of the issues, describe what is known about the issue and address each of the four workshop objectives specific to the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic recreational fisheries being constrained by high release mortality.

8:30 Regroup in breakout sessions –  Each group addresses all 4 issues in the context of workshop goals. Loftus/Radonski - group leaders.

12:00 Lunch Speaker: The Journey from Science to Management;” what does it take to go from developing/compiling information to change management and regulations -Andy Strelchek

1:15 Regroup in breakouts

3:00 Break

3:20 Meet in plenary - Breakout reports-20 minutes each-each group reports on the results of their discussions addressing the 4 issues. Commonalities and divergences between groups will be identified.

4:20 Group Discussion

5:00 Adjourn

 

Friday, April 13

8:00 Communications: Development and Delivery of Message Content: How Will We Use It?

9:00 Facilitated Group Collaboration (plenary): Finding a Unifying Message: Communicating Messages on Best Practices and Management Guidance (workshop goals) specific to the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic recreational fisheries being constrained by high release mortality – Andrew Loftus/Gil Radonski facilitators

Using the previous day outcomes, develop:

  • Best practices and fish friendly tackle to increase the survival of angler-sought saltwater fishes under variety of conditions (species, temperature, depth caught, hook size, etc.
  • Develop the outline of messages directed to anglers/for-hire to employ in their interaction with saltwater species, and
  • Develop guidance to regulatory bodies to reduce the interaction (avoidance) and lethality of such interactions, with those species by anglers/for-hire.
  • Catalogue gaps in the current state of knowledge in need of additional research efforts/funding

10:00 Break

10:15 Finalize Recommendations

11:15: Wrap Up- Russ Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries

11:30 Adjourn

 

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