Press Releases Articles

77.4-Pound Striper Could Set New RI Record

Peter Vican, who in 2008 caught a 76-pound, 14-ounce striped bass to set the Rhode Island state record for largest striper, has bested his old mark with a monster 77-pound, 4-ounce fish taken on Sunday, June 19.

New Virginia State Record Established on Snowy Grouper

NEWPORT NEWS -- Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach has established a new state record for snowy grouper with a 70-pound, 7-ounce fish caught May 22. The record fish was weighed and certified on an Ohaus digital scale at the office of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, located in Newport News. The digital scale registered 70.48 pounds but the weight was converted and listed as 70 pounds and 7-ounces as the state record.

RFA Presses for Comprehensive Fisheries Reform

June 17, 2007 - Ever since President Bush signed off on the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSRA) in 2007, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) has been loudly sounding the alarm with regard to diminishing angler access.

Final Verdict: New Regulations for Florida Permit

On June 9, 2011, Permit conservation in Florida entered a new era. It was on this date that the Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to accept the recommendations of their staff, and institute new regulations for permit. The new regulations didn’t go as far as BTT had hoped, but are a giant step in the right direction, and represent a good move for conservation of the permit fishery in Florida.

Fish Free in NY Coastal Waters

While most New York members of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and New York Sportfishing Federation (Federation) were already aware of the rules, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) made it official yesterday by announcing that all saltwater anglers are required to register in the state's new, no-fee saltwater fishing registry.

New Hampshire Sets Spiny Dogfish Limits

Commercial landing restrictions for spiny dogfish harvested in New Hampshire waters were announced today by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Marine Fisheries Division. Spiny dogfish may be harvested in state waters from July 1 through April 30 or until the northern region quota has been taken; there is a 3,000-pound trip limit for spiny dogfish. The restrictions are in accordance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan, one of the provisions of which addresses the need to control harvest in the fishery via regional quotas and daily trip limits.

Major Flooding on the Mississippi River Likely to Cause Large Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

The Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxic zone is predicted to be larger than average this year, due to extreme flooding of the Mississippi River this spring, according to an annual forecast by a team of NOAA-supported scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University and the University of Michigan. The forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient inputs compiled annually by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Proposed Budget Cuts Threaten Fish Hatcheries and State Economies

Proposed budget decreases at nine federal fish hatcheries could have a devastating effect on already fragile economies in states where these facilities are located.

The Impending California Salmon Disaster

Competing uses for water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed are putting the great salmon runs of California’s Central Valley in danger of disappearing. Two of the four seasonal salmon runs are already listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Water diversion for agricultural irrigation and other purposes is more than the Delta can sustain and it is having a devastating impact on recreational salmon fishing and businesses that depend on that fishery. As a result, the region’s salmon fishing seasons were completely shut down in 2008 and 2009. Though open, the 2010 salmon fishing season was severely curtailed. Without major changes in Delta and upriver water management, California’s Central Valley salmon fisheries are headed for a collapse. The environmental implications of this potential collapse will be devastating to the Delta and its human inhabitants. Despite the extreme environmental consequences of over-pumping, private interests, notably the San Joaquin Valley agricultural water contractors, are attempting to control even more of the public’s water.

Alaska Salmon and the Proposed Pebble Mine

The Bristol Bay watershed is threatened by the proposed construction of a 20-square mile mining complex which has the potential to create pollutants that would affect waterways and devastate the region's sportfishing.