Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is pleased to announce that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to institute new regulations for barracuda in south Florida. Prior to these new regulations, there were effectively no regulations for barracuda in Florida. The FWC Commissioners were impressed by the testimony of guides and anglers at numerous public workshops and a the FWC Commission meeting in Fort Lauderdale on September 3, testimony that painted a vivid picture of the decline in the barracuda population. The Commissioners voted to institute new regulations effective November 1, 2015, and to revisit the issue to consider additional regulations at their April 2016 Commission meeting. BTT is hopeful that the Commission will institute size restrictions on harvest at the April meeting to conserve the large adult spawners that are essential for the future of the fishery. There will be additional public hearings between now and the April 2016 Commission meeting. Stay tuned to the BTT Blog for workshop details. The FWC press release is here:https://myfwc.com/news/news-
