LDWF’s new angle on fish conservation

Recently, the Louisiana Saltwater Series completed its inaugural championship tournament in Empire, La. After hauling in a total weight of 34.11 pounds with their largest fish tipping the scales at 9.2 pounds, the team of Bobby Abruscato and Scott Ritter netted the grand prize of $2,700.

However, the real winners of this catch-and-release competition are the fish themselves and conservationists.

For more than a decade, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LWDF) have recruited fishermen to participate in Louisiana Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program for redfish and spotted speckled trout.

By charting data about fish caught, volunteer anglers provide information that is ridiculously expensive and nearly impossible to obtain by other means.

Subsequently, following the movement of tagged fish helps state biologists monitor the health of both aquatic populations and the recreational fishing industry.

This year, LDWF hosted six tag-and-release redfish tournaments to promote the conservation of Louisiana’s saltwater sport fish resources. An average of 30 two-person teams entered each event. By fishing a minimum of three Saltwater Series tournaments, 22 teams qualified for the no-entry-fee championship. During the series, competitors safely tagged and released 368 redfish.

“In light of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we were very pleased with overall participation,” says LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina. “We hope that these events will again create enthusiasm for fishing in Louisiana and will unite anglers and their families in this recreational pastime.”

While the tagging program continues year-round, LDWF has already planned six different competitions for the 2011 series, which includes a youth division and a significant increase in cash prizes. With low entry fees, these tournaments allow anglers to fish close to home, compete for cash prizes and contribute to the viability of Gulf Coast fish populations for generations to come.
“It’s not just the tournament itself [that attracts sportsmen],” explains participating angler Christopher Bush, “but being able to provide fish for LDWF to tag and hopefully track. It’s definitely a win-win situation.”

Details about the 2011 Louisiana Saltwater Series will soon be available at lasaltwaterseries.com. For additional information on the tagging program, email [email protected].

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