Year: 2021

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has received a $250,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to restore degraded coastal habitat in Southwest Florida. The NFWF grant will provide funding to support two mangrove restoration projects at Shell Island Road and Marco Shores Lake in Rookery Bay National […]

Representative of SACD, HCMR, BTT, and the Belize Fisheries Department. Photo: Tom Cawthon BTT is taking a collaborative approach to permit conservation in Belize by partnering with the co-managers of protected areas and government agencies. Dr. Addiel Perez, BTT’s Belize-Mexico Program Coordinator, recently participated in a new permit tagging project led by the Sarteneja Alliance for […]

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is pleased to welcome Noah Valenstein to the Board of Directors. A founding partner in the consulting firm Brightwater Strategies Group, PLLC, Valenstein served until recently as Secretary of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He was first appointed to the post in 2017 by Governor Rick Scott and subsequently re-appointed […]

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill that includes robust funding for coastal resilience and water quality improvement projects. The legislation, which recently passed the Senate, now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. “Enactment of this legislation proves once again that […]

We are pleased to welcome Whitney Wemett as Florida Keys Field Technician. Whitney grew up on the water in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York and received her Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Environmental Studies from Stonehill College in Massachusetts. Whitney’s passion for island communities led her to work with local NGOs […]

Give Miami Day – South Florida’s biggest annual day for charitable giving –  is Thursday, November 18! We are counting on your support to sustain our conservation work in South Florida and the Keys. These efforts focus on restoring and conserving habitats that benefit fish and wildlife while providing coastal resilience for local communities. BTT also […]

BTT member and Texas-based journalist Chester Moore Bonefish & Tarpon Trust member and wildlife journalist Chester Moore won first place for “Radio Talk Show” category in the Press Club of Southeast Texas Excellence In Media Awards. The winning program was an interview with Dr. Aaron Adams, BTT’s Director of Science & Conservation, on bonefish conservation […]

Conch Harbour, Long Island. Photo: Justin Lewis BTT is pleased to report that The Bahamas is poised to significantly expand coastal habitat protections, which include important bonefish habitats. The Government recently designated 40 new marine protected areas encompassing over 5.2 million acres of marine habitats. This is considered the final step in an ambitious program, the […]

Kellie Ralston has been appointed Vice President for Conservation and Public Policy at Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), an international conservation organization based in Miami, Florida. “We are excited to welcome Kellie to our team,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie. “Her knowledge, experience and leadership will have an immediate impact on BTT’s efforts […]

To us, a dream fly fishing day includes any day you can get out on the water. But if we can be picky, the perfect dream fly fishing day includes enjoying a day on the water with a breath of crisp cool air among breathtaking jagged mountain ranges with an unlimited amount of tugging on […]

A permit sculpture in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Photo: Dr. Addiel Perez The economic value of the flats fishery has proven to be an effective conservation tool. Economic studies in Florida, The Bahamas, and Belize have provided leverage for improved conservation measures, such as habitat protections, catch-and-release-only regulations, and spawning season closures. Dr. Addiel Perez, BTT’s […]

A juvenile tarpon in Southwest Florida. Photo: John Rohan Florida’s coastal shorelines are changing daily with development, nutrient runoff and altered waterflows, impacting sensitive tarpon nursery habitats. Juvenile tarpon (12” and under) rely on tidal mangrove creeks and other backcountry habitats that are not sufficiently protected. To prevent the further decline of Florida’s tarpon fishery, a […]

A Florida Keys bonefish tagged and released. Photo: Ian Wilson Bonefish & Tarpon Trust scientists are utilizing the latest technology and the historical knowledge of veteran guides to locate important bonefish spawning sites in the Florida Keys. Finding these nearshore areas where bonefish school by the thousands before migrating offshore to spawn in deep water […]

Photo: Andrew Luedke BTT’s International Science Symposium and Flats Expo was created to bring together internationally recognized marine scientists, resource managers, fishing guides, anglers, and educators to share information and learn from one another in order to advance flat fishery conservation. The mix of attendees and diversity of presentations and expert panels is unique and […]

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust applauds the U.S. Senate for passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill on August 10 that includes significant funding for water infrastructure, environmental remediation, and climate resilience projects. Included in this historic bill are $1.9 billion for aquatic ecosystem restoration projects managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, $491 million in funding to […]

Left to Right: Chico Fernandez, Sandy Moret, Dr. Andy Danylchuk Bonefish & Tarpon Trust will honor Florida anglers Sandy Moret and Chico Fernandez and scientist Dr. Andy Danylchuk for their contributions to flats fishery conservation at the 7th Annual International Science Symposium and Flats Expo, November 12-13, 2021, at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Weston, […]

As if all of the extra nutrients coming from land aren’t enough of a threat to our fisheries, proposals for offshore finfish aquaculture farms are now in the works. If realized, these proposals would place large cage-culture fish aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Florida coast. Among the many other concerns about […]

A dead tarpon during a red tide event on Florida’s west coast. Photo: Capt. Tommy Locke It wasn’t that long ago that such a statement would have been considered overblown and alarmist. But the terrible red tide devastating Tampa Bay is only the latest in a long line of media headlines. In fact, bad water […]