Abundance Means New Rules for Florida Redfish

In reaction to increased numbers of speckled seatrout and redfish, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (“FWC”) voted for and passed new regulations for both species, reports Jim Sutton in the St. Augustine Record.  A “success story” is what FWC Chair Kathy Braco is calling the increased numbers.  “What we are trying to do is be fair in a fishery that’s in abundance, and in some cases, way in abundance.”

While the regulations did extend the commercial fishing season by three months, a controversial proposal that would have allowed seine-netting the speckled seatrout failed to pass.