Marine Fisheries Enhancement:
Helping to Ensure Fish for the Future

December 4, 2008

Fishery management in Florida has managed to maintain a vibrant coastal sportfishing industry. This has been enabled by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) concentration on education and outreach, stakeholder partnerships, stock assessment and research, and careful design and enforcement of fishing regulations.

Saltwater sportfishing contributes a greater economic impact in Florida than in any other state in the USA. Florida’s population size now ranks fourth in the US. As population growth continues, it will become increasingly important for Florida’s Fish and Wildlife agency to have a suite of fishery-management tools in place that can help maintain the quality of fishing. To prepare for this challenge, the FWC has investigated the potential of additional fishery management measures and revitalized some existing ones.

The Florida Marine Fisheries Enhancement Initiative (FMFEI) is a progressive plan designed to integrate marine stock enhancement and habitat protection-and-restoration with fishing regulations and enforcement to help sustain, restore and enhance coastal fisheries. Key to the success of this initiative is involvement and education of stakeholders, careful planning, and commitment to achieving effective results.

The initiative will build on a responsible approach to marine stock enhancement, developed over the past decade, which has helped guide plans for many new stocking programs in the US and improvements to existing programs.

We need your support!

Brett Boston
Wildlife Foundation of Florida


Please visit the Florida Marine Fisheries Enhancement Initiative website to learn more about this project and support the effort.