THE MONEY TRAIL

But in this case, Uncle Sam isn’t taking those dollars to build roads or buy missiles. Those tax dollars are held in trust by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which re-apportions the money to the states in the form of grants. How much each state gets depends on the number of paid fishing-license holders, the number of registered boats, and the state’s land and water area. That means Florida gets a pretty good chunk. For 2015, the Sunshine State received about $11.4 million, and that total is recalculated every five years.

By law, the first 15 percent must go to boating access. A maximum of 15 percent can be used for education and outreach. The rest is split between recreational saltwater and freshwater programs at a ratio of 59:41. That split is based on the estimated number of resident freshwater and saltwater anglers— totaling more than 1.4 million license holders in Florida.

On top of those federal dollars, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received more than $31 million from recreational saltwater and freshwater licenses and permits in 2015. Those funds, too, must be spent on improving fisheries.

“The take-home message for an angler is that money is going to fisheries directly—it’s not going to build roads,” said Rich Abrams, supervisor of recreational outreach and education for the Division of Marine Fisheries. “These are your taxes coming right back to you.”

The scope of projects these funds support is impressive. Federal Sportfish Restoration funds and Florida fishing license revenues together pay for building and improving public boating access areas such as ramps and marinas; stocking fish in public water bodies; enhancing fish habitat, e.g. restoring lakes or planting aquatic vegetation; conducting fisheries research and monitoring; building artificial reefs for diving, fishing and fish habitat; responding to fish kills; improving boating safety; conducting fishing clinics and camps for youth and women; and producing educational publications.

Education and outreach are major focuses for the Commission because fostering an informed, conservation-minded angler is an important aspect of fisheries management.

“Ultimately, an angler is a fisheries manager because they’re out there engaging the resource, helping to manage the fishery based on what they’re doing with it,” Abrams said.

Fishing clinics and camps, stock enhancement and artificial reefs are just some of the programs that Sport Fish Restoration Funds support. Photos: FWC.

The agency conducts an average of 13 free, one-day saltwater fishing clinics for youth and their parents every year from Jacksonville south to the Keys. As many as 900 youngsters participate in each event, learn about fish habitats, how to catch and release fish, tie fishing knots, cast a spinning rod and stock a tackle box. Agency staff get a lot of help from local volunteers and non-profit organizations.

FWC conducted more than 130 free freshwater fishing clinics for kids in 2015, introducing nearly 3,200 new anglers to the joys of bass and bream. The Commission also hosted 55 week-long fishing camps for a fee for nearly 900 youngsters aged 9-15 during spring and summer breaks.

“We want them to not just go out and fish, but to understand conservation so that they can help sustain the resource,” Abrams said. “We also want to provide them with a positive fishing experience.

FWC also conducts free, one-day women’s fishing clinics—bringing in a local fishing guide, and teaching casting, cast-netting, knot-tying and other skills. Some 200 women attended eight clinics around the state in 2015. That schedule likely will expand in 2016.

“We want women to feel confident enough to go out and fish by themselves,” Abrams said.

The strategy seems to be working; at least one group of women who attended have launched their own fishing club in Crystal River.

With an estimated 3.1 million recreational anglers, fishing is such a way of life in Florida that even non-anglers benefit from the fishing culture. It generates some $8.7 billion for the state’s economy and supports more than 80,000 jobs— more than any other state. So state officials are even encouraging Floridians who don’t fish to go ahead and buy a fishing license with the “I Do” fishing license campaign (FloridaFishingLicenseCampaign.com). Famed marine artist/scientist/ conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey has contributed his artwork to the effort with a hard-card fishing license that costs an extra $4.

But, does it really make sense for those who are not anglers to buy a license? To that, Abrams said, “You may not fish, but you eat seafood. Or you might be a bird watcher. That money ultimately goes to fisheries programs that provide benefits to other species of wildlife through holistic habitat restoration and management.”

the Sun Is Shining

BY BRIAN YABLONSKI, CHAIRMAN FWC

The work of conservation is never complete, but there is plenty of progress to celebrate along the way.

When it comes to conservation, a lot of other states look to Florida’s progressive and successful model.

Let there be no doubt conservation is hard work; it does not come easy. Many issues attracting attention today are a sign of the health and the vitality of our species, a sign of what can happen when both wildlife and humans grow in numbers and conservation is a priority.

Over the past 20 years, we have improved and will continue to conserve Florida’s marine species with diligence and perseverance.

The FWC’s marine fisheries accomplishments are a prime example of successful conservation at work. With a staff of just over 30 people managing more than 500 species, one could say FWC’s marine fisheries team is a rock star of conservation. From developing innovative management approaches to increasing fishing opportunities, here are a few highlights of the FWC’s biggest marine fisheries management conservation successes in the last 20 years.