Juvenile Tarpon Preservation

Photo Keys Angling Company

Here is some interesting information from Aaron Adams, Ph.D., Operations Director at Bonefish Tarpon Trust talking about baby tarpon habitat. I think conservation is becoming more and more important. Check out how you can be more aware of future salt water conservation issues be reading below.

I recently received an email from a BTT member who was just back from a fishing trip on which he had the pleasure of wading in a backcountry lagoon casting to and catching juvenile tarpon. From his description, the lagoon was pretty far removed from the open ocean, perhaps connected to the ocean only by a long, winding, narrow creek overgrown by mangroves and thick with mosquitoes. He was excited about seeing and catching so many juvenile tarpon, as well as some juvenile snook, even though they were only 12" long. This is the type of enthusiasm I like to see - suffering the mosquitoes and mangrove muck to enjoy juvenile tarpon.

What this email brought to mind, however, is that although these habitats still exist, we have lost and continue to lose large amounts of these habitats that are critical to juvenile tarpon. Without them, we have fewer adult tarpon, and the fishery suffers. That's why it's nice to see people getting excited about our new efforts into juvenile tarpon habitat restoration. This also highlights the ability of anglers to become involved - join one of our Traveling Angler trips. The perks for BTT membership and involvement can be nice too - just ask the winner of the 2011 Sweepstakes, who is now proud owner of a Hell's Bay flats boat.