Bonefish in our Hands Campaign Launch

Announcing Bonefish In Our Hands, the third in their species-specific series covered by Keep Fish Wet’s grassroots effort to empower recreational anglers to better protect the fish we love.  Keep Fish Wet, with support from Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation, has created an open-source infographic and social media campaign to highlight how people can safely play, handle, and release a bonefish to improve chances of survival after it swims away.

“We focused this campaign on bonefish in The Bahamas as it’s such a popular fishing destination and because we have ample science on catch-and-release from various islands.  Team members from Keep Fish Wet, including myself, have conducted nearly all the catch-and-release science on bonefish” says Sascha Clark Danylchuk, Executive Director of Keep Fish Wet.  “Predation by sharks or barracuda is the major cause of mortality for bonefish after they are released, but we have shown that anglers can significantly decrease the chance or predation for bonefish just by changing a few simple handling techniques.  Every angler targeting bonefish can put conservation into practice by using the information provided in Bonefish In Our Hands.”

As part of this campaign, Keep Fish Wet also collaborated with Bahamian artist Jace McKinney who created vibrant illustrations that accompany the science-based best practices.

“Bonefishing in The Bahamas represents a significant percentage of tourism dollars. The livelihoods of guides and the sustainability of dozens of lodges and businesses are directly tied to the health of the fishery in the Bahamas. We wanted to make sure every angler who visits The Bahamas is empowered with the information they need to protect the fish they traveled to catch, ensuring that The Bahamas remains a very special destination for the foreseeable future” said Brooks Scott, Executive Director of the Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation.

The “Bonefish In Our Hands” infographic is available as an open access resource for guides, shops, lodges, and the fishing community to use to help anglers contribute to the resilience of bonefish in The Bahamas.

More information can be found at www.keepfishwet.org/bonefish-in-our-hands