Conservation Connect LIVE: "Brook Trout Discovery"
February 15, 2017
2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time -- LiveStream Broadcast Link

Join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they dive in and learn about our Native Brook Trout. These beautiful fish are native to Connecticut and can be found in our state's coldest and purest streams. During the broadcast you will learn about trout behavior, research techniques and the technology of backpack electrofishing with Fish Biologist and brook trout expert Than Hitt, from the U.S. Geological Survey in Leetown, WV. 

Get your brook trout questions ready for the online chat room and join host Chelsea McKinney, from the USFWS National Conservation Training Center. It's all happening on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Conservation Connect LIVE! February 15 at 2 pm ET. For broadcast information, please visit: https://nctc.fws.gov/broadcasts

Here's a short preview! http://bit.ly/ccbrooktrout

Flyfishing Blues! Congratulations to Derek Angel who submitted the winning shot that was taken by Nick Walsh.  Derek was fishing the outgoing tide on the tombolo at Silver Sands State Park in Millford.  Derek said he was using a clouser minnow streamer when this Bluefish hit like a "hammer" and the fight was on.

If you think that you have the wining shot to be featured on the 2018 Angler's Guide, email your photo to deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov. We are accepting entries for next year's contest now!  All contest details can be found on our webpage.

WOW! There were some incredible photos posted to our CTFishandWildlife Facebook page when we asked, "What was your best catch in 2016?" The collage above represents some of your best trout caught in 2016.  Next month we will feature your "best saltwater catches". Thank you for sharing!

Check the thickness of the ice.   Be safe on the ice and always check ice thickness.  Ice thickness is not uniform and can vary greatly within a water body. When starting out onto the ice drill a hole about 3-6 feet from shore, if it is a safe thickness, continue drilling holes every 10-20 feet.  The ice thickness graphic below is from the Pennsylvania Angler and Boater Magazine (Jan/Feb 2017).  It is good practice to let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return, and to always carry appropriate safety equipment.

Please note that while this graphic shows the thickness of ice to support a car or truck, it is strictly for illustrative purposes. It is illegal to drive a car or truck on the ice in Connecticut.

Marine Fishing Regulations are developed by committee and based on the best available science.   The goal of regulating marine fisheries is to prevent overfishing and maintain over time abundant, self-sustaining fisheries based on the best scientific information while remaining fair and equitable to recreational and commercial fishermen.

As marine fishes more often than not cross state boundaries, stewardship of the resource is maintained by multi-state commissions and regional fishery management councils. In our case, fish are managed in state waters by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and in federal waters by the New England Fishery Management Council. Each individual state contributes to the process by submitting data, providing technical and advisory support, and compiling feedback from the public. Ultimately, states are responsible to implement a collective management decision made through a larger commission or council. 

To achieve this goal, an intensive process has been standardized to ensure that all stakeholders have input on the interpretation of the best available scientific data about a species. The process is multi-tiered and involves input from many people along the way. The final product is the implementation of a regulation at the state level to support a plan to address an identified issue for a particular species throughout its range.

 

The graphic above summarizes key steps in the process for the development or change in the regulation for a species through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

For more information about marine fisheries management please visit the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's web page at www.asmfc.org/fisheries-science/fisheries-science-101 .
Because of the process, marine regulations are often finalized after the start of the calendar year (which is why the Connecticut Angler's Guide is not ready for distribution on January 1).

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at 860-418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.