Tarpon and Bonefish become catch and release only fisheries on September the 1st

Tarpon and bonefish will become catch-and-release only fisheries beginning September the 1st.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the management measures at its June 12th meeting in Lakeland.

The catch-and-release proposal was adopted because the economic and fishing values of bonefish and tarpon greatly exceed their value as food fishes.

Beginning this Sunday all harvest of tarpon will be eliminated, with the exception of the harvest or possession of a single tarpon when in pursuit of an International Game Fish Association record and in conjunction with a tarpon tag.

Tarpon tags will be limited to one per person, per year except for properly licensed charter boat captains and fishing guides.

People will be allowed to temporarily possess a tarpon for photography, measurement of length and girth and scientific sampling, with the stipulation that tarpon more than 40 inches must remain in the water.

The bonefish tournament exemption permit will also be eliminated.

That exemption allowed tournament anglers with the proper permit to temporarily possess bonefish for transport to a tournament scale.

http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments http://live.oysterradio.com/