Updates/Reports

Monte Burke’s excellent new book, Lords of the Fly, excerpted in these pages, reminds us of the cause-and-effect relationship that exists between people and nature. It’s the story of tiny Homosassa, big tarpon, and the obsessed guides and anglers who pursued them for world records. But the careful reader can also discern another story line—the decline, some may say collapse, of a local fishery. This is deeply relevant to the work of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and the complex challenges we are called to address.

It was a fishing gold rush. News of newly discovered “beasts” and the angling exploits that ensued ignited interest in Homosassa, a small community on Florida’s Gulf coast. Eventually the local waters were filled with legions of anglers seeking to topple world records set by the likes of Evans, Pate and Apte. But increased fishing pressure was only part of the story. New residential developments also appeared on the coastal landscape, setting their foundations deep in wooded areas that once provided buffer for rivers and springs while at the same time spiking demands on water supply. As fate would have it, this was unfolding during a time when severe droughts also made water scarce. The cumulative effect hit the fishery hard, drastically reducing the flow of fresh water reaching the bay. What did trickle in was more polluted than in the past and insufficient to forestall cascading environmental impacts and changes in tarpon behavior.

Sound familiar?

Some aspects of the Homosassa experience parallel the decline of bonefish in the Florida Keys, from the presence of increasingly polluted waters and altered flows from the Everglades to seasonal droughts, hypersalinity and the large-scale loss of seagrass. In fact, the back half of this boom-to-bust chapter in Homosassa’s history progressed on a timeline very similar to that marking the decline of Keys bonefish. Interestingly, Tom Evans’ logbook reveals that he did not land a single fish in 1996 after 30 days on the water, which was only months before BTT was established. His luck did not improve much over the years that followed.

If we could write an epilogue to Lords of the Fly, it would be to tell the rest of the story—the story of conservation. Among the pantheon of anglers appearing in the book are individuals who went on to play a significant role in BTT’s establishment and subsequent conservation efforts—Stu Apte, Lefty Kreh, Bill Curtis, Chico Fernandez, Flip Pallot. These legends, many of them enshrined or scheduled to be inducted into our Circle of Honor, lent their names and used their stages to

Carl Navarre, Chairman Jim McDuffie, President

inform, encourage—even inspire—conservation and stewardship of the flats fishery.

In the pages that follow, you will read about the progress BTT has made since those early years as well as some of our priorities for flats conservation in the year ahead. Award-winning author and journalist T. Edward Nickens reflects on the bonefish revival in the Keys, where anglers are enjoying some of their best days on the water in decades. As Sandy Moret says in the piece, “It’s more than a comeback. It’s crazy. It’s a landslide of bonefish sometimes.” Tom Bie, editor of The Drake, shares interesting new insights from our Tarpon Acoustic Tagging Program, which is rewriting the book on what is known about tarpon movement and habitat uses. Data from the study helped make the case earlier this year when the State of North Carolina revised existing regulations to protect migrating tarpon in state waters. The amendment, approved in February, makes the species catch and release only and will end the practice of hanging tarpon high on North Carolina piers in the summer. Going forward, the knowledge gained from this tagging program will help inform other improvements to tarpon fishery management in specific locations and at regional scales.

You will also find updates on important new efforts, including BTT’s campaign to protect spawning permit at Western Dry Rocks through a spawning season closure at the site. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is expected to take action on this recommendation before the end of the year, and your vocal support is needed.

And we remain focused on the importance of conserving habitats. In an ongoing, collaborative project with FWC, BTT is working to ensure that habitat needs are incorporated into future fisheries management plans in the state. The spotlight is on habitat in the Bahamas as well, where work will begin soon on a new, large-scale project to restore mangroves destroyed last year by Hurricane Dorian. Meanwhile, across the Caribbean Basin, BTT remains vocal in its opposition to unregulated coastal developments impacting the flats fishery in Belize.

These are but a few of the ambitious science and conservation initiatives on our 2020-21 agenda. We are pleased with the progress reflected in this issue and our positioning for the challenges that lie ahead. With your continued support and advocacy, we will be successful.