The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has launched a new addition to its website called Fishing for Our Future. This new site is designed to educate stakeholders about release mortality and promote best fishing practices to reduce the likelihood that fish will die upon release.
The site features a “discard dashboard” that displays information on the magnitude of discard mortality in the Gulf of Mexico. Users can access data on different species, time series, and modes of fishing. The dashboard, which currently houses information on red snapper, gag, and greater amberjack will be updated and expanded as new data become available.
The new site makes best fishing practice recommendations and curates outreach materials developed by organizations across the region. It also houses a comprehensive list of research relevant to discard mortality in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Fishing for Our Future is a significant step towards facilitating a cultural change in our offshore fishery to decrease discard mortality,” said Captain Dylan Hubbard, Chairman of the Gulf Council’s Outreach and Education Technical Committee. “Hopefully, increasing awareness and encouraging anglers to get fish back into the water quickly, and back to the bottom safely, will give us more access to fish.”
The new Fishing for Our Future website will be updated and improved regularly. We encourage you to visit the site at: