posted by Davin on Jul 18
Recently for state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico now require all commercial fishers and recreational anglers fishing from a vessel for and Gulf reef fish species to use circle hooks, dehooking devices and venting tools. June 1, 2008 marks the date when these new rules took affect and apply to all reef fish species including groupers, snappers, amber jacks, trigger fish, porgies, sea bass, hog fish, and tile fish. The intent of these rules is to help conserve fishery resources by reducing the mortality associated with releasing fish not harvested due to regulations or personal reasons. They are also asking you to use common sense when releasing an unwanted fish, if a hook is to deep to retrieve if is much better to cut the line by the hook rather than to try removing it with a dehooking device. Also they would like you to use non-stainless steel hooks because they will disintegrate in a short period of time and should cause the fish less harm. New rules also require you to use a De-hooking Device for reef fish species in the Gulf to remove hooks embedded with minimal damage. It has to be of appropriate size and be blunt and all edges rounded. Lastly a venting devices also required for fish caught in 50 feet or more. When fish are brought up from this depth the gases in their swim bladder expand. Signs of this are protrusion of the stomach from the mouth, bulging eyes and a bloated belly. The venting tool must be a sharpened,hollow instrument such as a hypodermic syringe with the plunger remover. Don’t use a knife or ice pick. Insert the venting tool into the fish at a 45 degree angle under a scale approximately 1 to 2 inches from the base of the pectoral fin and be inserted just deep enough to release the gases so that the fish may be released with minimum damage. Information taken from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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