Georgia to Vote on Redfish This Week

Fish trivia of the day: What’s the most popular fish among all saltwater anglers?  Answer: The redfish—also known as red drum, spottail, and channel bass.  Unfortunately many states offer little or no protection to the species, and commercial harvest control is spotty at best. In 2007 the U.S. designated the red drum as a protected game fish. The order prohibits sale of red drum caught in Federal waters and encourages states to consider designating red drum as a protected game fish within state waters, but many states, like Georgia, have failed to follow federal recommendations.

Residents and conservation groups in the state of Georgia are pushing the local legislature to pass a new law giving red drum gamefish status there. It is something that almost every other state with a redfishery has done, most decades ago. This long overdue effort is being spearheaded by a grassroots group called GeorgiaRedfish.org. Through petitioning and emailing campaigns they hope to convince local legislators of the same thing other states already know: that redfish are worth far more as a recreational quarry than on ice in commercial fish markets. The bill is being voted on this week so time is of the essence.

Visit this link and send a note to the state reps. There is a very easy email tool that allows you to send a note to the right people in just a few seconds.  GeorgeRedfish.org is asking that “HB-36 be passed in it’s original form, without any commercial quotas being added.”