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Contact: Matt Johnson, 786-335-3679 Contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – Biscayne National Park released its Fishery Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement this week. The plan aims to improve fishery resource conditions, increase abundance and size of fish commonly targeted by anglers, and provide better fishing experiences for future generations. The National Park Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) collaborated on this plan, which is more than 10 years in the making. "Public and partner agency input was incorporated throughout the planning process, helping us establish common goals," said Superintendent Brian Carlstrom. "With public support, we look forward to continuing collaboration with partner agencies throughout the implementation process." In developing the plan, five alternatives were presented that addressed concerns about the status and long-term conservation of park fishery resources. The preferred alternative seeks to rebuild and conserve these resources. It also aims to increase the abundance and average size of targeted fish and invertebrate species by at least 20% over current conditions. To achieve these goals over the next five to ten years, the park and partnering agencies will work together to implement a wide range of plan recommendations. This will include working with the FWC on regulatory changes necessary for the park to meet its goals. Public input will be welcome on any future regulation proposals and the opportunity to comment will be widely announced, including on the websites for the park and the FWC. The Final Fishery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement may be downloaded at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/bisc. For your convenience, CDs and a limited number of paper copies are available on request at: Biscayne National Park For more information about Biscayne National Park, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/bisc, or follow the park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/biscaynenps, or Twitter at www.twitter.com/biscaynenps. -NPS- About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015