Good news for Florida permit

Following hot on the heels of legislation that gave Florida’s bonefish official catch-and-release status, it looks like permit are in line for some welcome extra protection too. This, from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust:

“On June 9, 2011, Permit conservation in Florida entered a new era. It was on this date that the Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to accept the recommendations of their staff, and institute new regulations for permit. The new regulations didn’t go as far as BTT had hoped, but are a giant step in the right direction, and represent a good move for conservation of the permit fishery in Florida.

After working with FWC staff and Commissioners for nearly two years on formulating new regulations for permit, BTT is pleased that FWC has taken this positive step to ensure a healthy fishery into the future. These new regulations will better protect populations of what outgoing Commission Chair Rodney Barreto called the ‘rock star of the flats’. The new regulations will help protect the important flats fisheries in South Florida.

In addition, FWC is now partnering with BTT in Costa’s Project Permit, a statewide tagging program that will provide much needed information on permit movements, fishing effort, catch rates, and fish size, all important for future management.”