Perspectives
Protecting Spawning Permit at Western Dry Rocks Captain Will Benson and BTT Florida Keys Initiative Manager Dr. Ross Boucek with an acoustically-tagged permit. Like most permit on the flats of the Lower Keys, this big fish likely spawns at Western Dry Rocks. Photo: Ian Wilson
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critical permit conservation decision looms: whether or not to protect spawning permit that congregate in a 1.3 square mile area, 12 miles southwest of Key West, called Western Dry Rocks (WDR). Research has identified WDR as a critical spawning site for permit as well as mutton snapper and several other Lower Keys fish species. Permit are protected during the spawning season from April through July, when only catch and release fishing is allowed. This catch and release regulation also applies to WDR. However, recent research has revealed that an average of two out of every five permit that are hooked are eaten by sharks prior to being landed, making catch and release an ineffective management strategy at the site. In the absence of other viable management options, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is calling for a spawning season no-fishing closure at WDR. BTT, in partnership with the Lower Keys Guides Association, has worked hard over the past year to secure protection for spawning permit at this critically important area. In February 2020, BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to discuss the importance of the permit fishery to the Florida 6
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Keys and the urgent need to conserve it. The following week, a delegation of flats fishing guides and offshore captains joined BTT Florida Keys Initiative Manager Dr. Ross Boucek in Tallahassee, where they made comments to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in support of protecting spawning fish. This was followed in March with the launch of the “Let Them Get Lucky” social media campaign to educate anglers and other stakeholders about the threats to spawning permit at WDR and to encourage their outreach to FWC. The campaign was very successful and resulted in comments in support of a WDR spawning season closure by hundreds of concerned anglers. As a result of vocal public support and BTT’s advocacy, WDR is on the verge of becoming the only haven where Keys flats permit can spawn in peace. FWC will hold public meetings in South Florida this fall to gauge public support for a spawning season no-fishing closure at WDR. These meetings will be the last chance for conservation-minded anglers to register strong support for protecting spawning permit. BTT members are encouraged to participate and speak up for permit conservation.
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