Marine Resources Releases 18,000 Redfish Fry | Outdoor Alabama
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Is it just me, or does 18,000 FRY not seem like that big of a number? Don't get me wrong, I'm appreciative of the effort and the inclusion of pompano and flounder to this program is a great idea!
18K may seem like a small number to some but on the other hand any number is better than none. A step towards replenishment, though a small step, is a positive step.
LOL! 18k more than were out there last week ;-)
Yes, it may not seem like a lot.
But it is, every increase is exponential in the long term.
If just 1% of that 18k are females who spawn once, then that is an average 280 million eggs.
Now do it again, and again and again...
Exponential and compounding increases.
That is as long as we maintain our estuaries.
Conservation Works!
They need to do it with cobia.
Cobia are being farmed in the western gulf and other places, for markets.
This is an old article, but might apply here. World Fishing & Aquaculture | Cobia at a crossroads
Wouldn't that be cool if huge schools of cobia came through where everyone hooks up (like you see with big schools of jacks or reds)?Quote:
Originally Posted by jigslinger
Some people will hate me for this...
I would support a 3-5 year ban on ALL Cobia fishing in US waters.
They really need a serious break from the pressure they're under.
I could get behind that or something like 3 off 1 on,Quote:
Originally Posted by ChileRelleno
There's a bit of misinformation in that article. No such thing as a 12-14" redfish that is one year old. They can barely achieve that in an aquaculture setting in one year given perfect conditions and fed twice a day with high protein feed. Female Redfish DO NOT become sexually mature at 2-3 years of age. The reason for our upper slot limit size is to allow for recreational take and then protect the future broodfish which depending on sex and many other variables are 4-6 years of age and a small percentage are minimally mature. It's a nice step...
I'll stir the pot: Closure based on????Quote:
Originally Posted by ChileRelleno
Cobia limit is the same for commercial and recreational, 2 per person per day, 33".
What indication do we have that they are being overfished?
My understanding is that the annual catch is pretty steady and neither the commercial or recreational quotas have been exceeded since being set back in 2012.
If you have fished for them for any amount of time you'd know they're being overfished. The numbers seen now during their Spring run are nowhere near what they used to be.
Agreed we are now only allowed one slot red over here in North West Florida now.Quote:
Originally Posted by jigslinger
CarlF, JigSlinger answered your question for me.
I'm on board with doing something about cobia too -- the stories my uncles have from that fishery in the 70s sound totally unbelievable by today's standards. I assume most of the cobia catch is NOT in federal waters. Wouldn't it be great to see all the gulf states do something proactive?Quote:
Originally Posted by ChileRelleno
Aren't cobia a migratory specie? They are harvested along Mexico, Central America, and South American coasts. What effect could closures along the Northern Gulf Coast mean for those other fisheries? I don't know that other countries have regulations on harvesting in their domains. If less cobia are taken here in our fishery, will that then translate into more harvest of cobia for our neighbors, as an unintended consequence?
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Homepage :: Southeast Regional Office
Yes, cobia are considered a "coastal migratory pelagic" species as well as having a world-wide distribution, and they are caught both in state and federal waters.
Cobia - Interesting Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico and Coastal Mississippi
http://gcrl.usm.edu/public/fish/imag...tterns.650.jpg
Some interesting data contained in this NOAA document pertaining to the Atlantic cobia closure...
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainabl...osure_faqs.pdf
Many people believe making cobia a gamefish will restore them to former levels, but the commercial take appears to only be about a tenth of the recreational catch which has been increasing for decades.
For sure these high dollar cobia tournaments aren't helping the fishing pressure.
Especially for an isolated population like exists in the Gulf of Mexico (think "local depletion").
Be careful what you ask for.
Just so happens on TV this morning, here in NC was a local Fishing show. They were anchored just outside Masonboro Inlet fishing for Cobia, migrating North, think they said it was May.
Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like cobia are a lot like salmon in the respect that they return to the area where they hatched to spawn. Tagged fish have proven that they migrate from south Florida along the gulf coast to as far as the Texas coast annually following the same routine over several years. If that's true, tightened up regulations could help gulf coast cobia. There is still a lot to be learned but studies have proven that stocked cobia are quick to adjust to the wild life so stocking should help also.
About 10,000 or so farmed cobia escaped last year off the Pacific coast of Ecuador last year. They aren't E. Pacific species, but seem to be adapting, and moving northward toward California. Good thing or bad thing? Oh, and they were mature. Adults.