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Tippets Short Takes on Important Topics

Students, volunteers, and local guides plant mangrove seedlings in East Grand Bahama. Photo: Nick Roberts

BAHAMAS MANGROVE RESTORATION PROJECT REACHES MILESTONE

With the help of local fishing guides, students, and partner organizations, BTT has planted 20,000 mangroves in Grand Bahama and Abaco, marking a major milestone in the Northern Bahamas Mangrove Restoration Project. The five-year project seeks to plant 100,000 red mangroves in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Dorian to restore vital bonefish habitat and strengthen coastal resilence. Visit BTT.org to learn how you can support this important work to ensure the future health of the Bahamas’ flats fishery and the communities it supports.

NFWF AWARDS BTT GRANT FOR COASTAL HABITAT RESTORATION

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded BTT a $250,000 grant to begin the restoration process for two degraded coastal habitats in Southwest Florida. The NFWF grant will provide funding to support restoration projects at Shell Island Road and Marco Shores Lake in Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR), located within Collier County. Both sites have been impacted by alterations in hydrology and vegetation due to development and channelization of natural tidal river and creek systems. The restoration projects will bolster Southwest Florida’s coastal resilience, protect water quality, and improve vital nursery habitat for juvenile tarpon and snook, which support the state’s saltwater recreational fishery, worth more than $9.6 billion annually. The work will be done in partnership with RBNERR and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

7TH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM

Don’t miss Bonefish & Tarpon Trust 7th International Science Symposium and Flats Expo on November 4-5, 2022, at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Presented by Costa, this special two-day event will bring together stakeholders from across the world of flats fishing—anglers, guides, industry leaders, government agencies, scientists, writers and artists. The program includes presentations on major research findings along with spin and fly casting clinics, fly tying clinics, panel discussions with top anglers and guides, art and photography, and a banquet honoring legendary anglers Sandy Moret and Chico Fernandez and BTT Research Fellow Dr. Andy Danylchuk for their contributions to flats fishery conservation. The Symposium will also feature an expanded Flats Fishing Expo, where sponsors will share information about their products and corporate commitment to conservation. Space is limited, so visit BTT.org/Symposium to register today.

Representatives of SACD, HCMR, BTT, and the Belize Fisheries Department. Photo: Tom Cawthon

BTT AND BELIZEAN PARTNERS ADVANCE PERMIT CONSERVATION

BTT is taking a collaborative approach to permit conservation in Belize by partnering with the co-managers of protected areas and government agencies. Dr. Addiel Perez, BTT’s Belize-Mexico Program Coordinator, recently participated in a new permit tagging project led by the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation (SACD), Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) and the Belize Fisheries Department in northern Belize. The project is using tag-recapture to understand permit movements and the effects of fish traps. Learning more about permit movements and habitat use enables us to identify the habitats that should be prioritized for protection.

Since this new collaborative project between SACD, HCMR, BTT, and the Belize Fisheries Department spans the entire northern Belize region rather than only focusing on a particular protected area, the results will improve fisheries and protected area management. This is especially important for fish like permit that require multiple habitats throughout the region to complete their life cycle. Improved management includes better protections for the habitats on which permit depend, and properly managing fish traps to reduce the bycatch of permit, which are a catch-and-release species that cannot be harvested. BTT will continue to work together with Belizean partners to ensure the long-term health of Belize’s flats fishery and coastal communities.

The new Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Florida license plate.

HELP CONSERVE THE SILVER KING WITH NEW BTT LICENSE PLATE

The new BTT Florida license plate, featuring the art of Derek DeYoung, benefits BTT’s efforts to conserve and restore essential juvenile tarpon habitat and improve fisheries management throughout the range of the species. To reserve plates for your car, truck, trailer, and RV, visit: www.btt.org/license-plate.

BTT Youth Ambassador Patsy Daughters with a bonefish landed on the flats of Alphonse Island in the Seychelles. Photo: Warren Graham

BECOME A BTT YOUTH AMBASSADOR

The future of our oceans is in the hands of the next generation of anglers and conservationists. The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Youth Ambassadors Program recognizes outstanding young leaders in flats fishing and ocean conservation. If you or someone you know would like to participate, please visit BTT.org/ambassadors to learn more.