restoration? Do we understand the habitat
characteristics that are best for the fish, and
how these are connected to things like fish
growth and survival? With much coastal
habitat already lost to development, and more
habitat under threat, the fish-habitat connections
have to be a priority for conservation.
I also think a lot about the connections
between different locations. To what extent, for
example, are the bonefish in Cuba related to
bonefish in Florida or the Bahamas? Do larvae
spawned in Cuba make it to these far-off
locations? Is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
in Mexico, large enough to protect the permit
population that supports the well-known
permit fishery in Ascension Bay? Are tarpon
popula tions more connected by migrations of
adults or by the oceanic travels of larvae? To a
great extent, all conservation is local, whether
it’s about habitat protections, fisheries regulations, or
habitat restoration. But it’s also regional, because we know
that to at least some extent our fisheries are connected. The
challenge is figuring out these connections so we can focus
conservation efforts most effectively.
Perhaps most important are the connections between anglers and
the fish. Do we understand that when, where, and how we fish is
not only important for catching fish, but also has implications
for conservation? Practicing responsible fish handling for catch
and release, for example, is extremely important to ensure the
fish we release live to be caught another day. As anglers, do we
understand enough about the fish and their habitats to really ‘get
it’ when it comes to conservation? Do we see, for example, the
connection between declines in water quality and declines in our
fisheries? I think that many of us do understand these
connections, and more are ‘getting it’ every day. It is going to be
this understanding, and acting on the understanding to improve
conser vation, that makes the future bright for bonefish, tarpon,
and permit.
I think it’s only fair to bring things full circle. As the bonefish
reached the spot where the fly lay in the bottom, I twitched the
crab fly once. The bonefish rushed the fly, slurped it,
and was off to the races when it felt the hook. A few minutes
later, I released a fat, 7 pound bonefish and watched it slowly
swim down the flooding shoreline. I’d made my connections.
My hope is that we can continue to work together to make sure
that we can continue to have these types of opportunities, and to
ensure that those who come after us do as well.Perhaps most important are the
connections between anglers and the fish.
Do we understand that when, where,
and how we fish is not only important
for catching fish, but also
has implications for conservation?