Tarpon and snook catch $1.2 million research grant
Increasing development and the importance of local tarpon and snook populations have spurred a $1.2 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that will specifically target Charlotte Harbor.
“These are very specific needs of a very specific fish,” said Nicole Iadevaia, director of research and restoration for the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership. CHNEP is working on the project with a team that includes the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Charlotte County government.
The study is unique in that it takes into consideration economic development, and asks for “realistic options for implementing habitat protection or restoration.” It is officially titled “Implementation of a research plan to guide decisions on place-based recreational fishery conservation in Charlotte Harbor.”