How catching fish helps fisheries science

By Sean Simmons, 
President of Angler’s Atlas and MyCatch
Organizer of angler engagement symposium at the American Fisheries Society’s annual conference Nov. 7, 2021

Tune in Nov. 7 for a live-stream event that will feature talks on a wide range of fish including trophy bass from Florida, striped bass from the East Coast, Texas alligator gar, Canadian walleye and muskie and even the mighty Fraser River sturgeon that can reach over 12 feet in length!

What makes this event different from other fishing events is that it shows how catching fish can help fisheries science. For example, Florida Fish and Wildlife runs a Trophy Catch program as a way to get better numbers on the trophy bass population in the state. Before this program, scientists didn’t have good data on the populations of large bass, but now with anglers’ support they are able to monitor the large bass much better.

And for those of you lucky enough to have fished for mighty sturgeon on the Fraser River (British Columbia, Canada), some of you may have also been collecting valuable population data on the stocks. The Fraser River Sturgeon Society has been working with anglers for over 20 years and has been able to develop high resolution population estimates on the state of that fishery. 

If you are interested in learning how anglers are making a difference in fisheries across the U.S. and Canada, join us for this one day event. You can sign up through eventbrite and then watch the event live online. And there will be opportunities to ask questions to the presenters. Click here to sign up.