In Case You Missed It - January 23, 2015 News

Sign Up To Participate In The Gulf Reef Fish Survey Today

Attention Gulf reef fish anglers: You’ve asked for better data and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has listened and taken action. Now the FWC needs your help. Sign up today to participate in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. The easy, no-cost process will help the FWC paint a clearer picture of how many people are targeting Gulf reef fish, like red snapper and gag grouper, and what anglers are seeing on the water. The Gulf Reef Fish Survey is for anglers (including those 65 and older) fishing in the Gulf of Mexico (excluding Monroe County) from a private boat, who plan to harvest, possess or land any of the following reef fish: red and vermilion snapper; gag; black and red grouper; gray triggerfish; greater and lesser amberjack; banded rudderfish; and almaco jack. Those fishing from a for-hire vessel are not required to participate in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. Anglers under 16 years of age and those fishing from a vessel that has a vessel recreational fishing license also do not need to participate. To sign up online, visit License.MyFWC.com, enter your date of birth and one of the required "Lookup Method" identifiers (Social Security number, FWC customer ID or driver's license number) and click continue. If you are a new customer, you may have to create a customer account before you proceed to the next steps. Once you are in the system, click "Purchase a License." Add the no-cost Gulf Reef Fish Angler to your cart (found under "Saltwater Fishing") and then check out. Make sure to print a copy to take with you when you are fishing. You can also sign up in person at tackle shops, sporting goods stores and your local tax collector’s office, or by phone at 1-888-FISHFLORIDA (347-4356). Renewal will be on an annual basis, just like any one-year license. Are you a Florida resident 65 or older and exempt from needing a recreational saltwater fishing license? No worries! You are not required to purchase any other license, such as a recreational saltwater fishing license, or pay any other fees to participate. When signing up online, you are still required to click “Purchase a License,” but signing up as a “Gulf Reef Fish Angler” is no-cost. You can also sign up in person at any tackle store or tax collector’s office. Anglers may choose to begin participating in the program right now. Signing up will be mandatory for Gulf reef fish anglers starting April 1, 2015. Through this program, researchers will be able to better determine how many people in Florida are fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Many of those who signed up for the Gulf Reef Fish Survey will be contacted by the FWC and asked if they would be willing to provide information about their Gulf reef fish fishing activities. The Gulf Reef Fish Survey will improve recreational data collection, giving the FWC a more realistic picture of what is happening on the water and allowing for more informed fisheries management decisions. Participants who are contacted by the FWC and do provide information about their Gulf reef fish fishing activities will be entered into a drawing to win an annual, 5-year or lifetime recreational saltwater fishing license. Want to know more about the Gulf Reef Fish Survey? Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on "Saltwater," "Recreational Regulations" and "Gulf Reef Fish Survey."

guy harvey spiced rum (1).jpg — If you love the ocean, you likely drink rum. And if you love Guy Harvey’s lifestyle – ocean, beaches, fishing, boating, diving – you’ll love his new spiced rum, too. Renowned marine wildlife artist, scientist and conservationist Guy Harvey unveiled today his entry into the popular spiced rum market. Guy Harvey Spiced Rum was developed and launched together with Shaw-Ross International Importers, one of the spirits industry’s leading marketing and sales companies. In Florida, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. has been appointed as the wholesale distributor for the brand. “Given the rich heritage of rum with sailors, boaters and fishermen, adding a quality rum product is a logical extension of my lifestyle brand” said Guy Harvey. “We are also extremely pleased with being able to partner with industry leader Shaw-Ross on this project.” Distilled in the Caribbean, Guy Harvey Spiced Rum is an amber colored spiced rum that contains spices and warm flavors of vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. It is 35 percent alcohol by volume (70 proof) making it very pleasant on the tongue with a long, smooth finish. It will retail at approximately $15 per 750ml bottle. “The Guy Harvey name is a perfect fit for spiced rum,” notes Bruce Hunter, Managing Director of Shaw-Ross International Importers. “Additionally, rum is a growing category and spiced rum in particular is the driving force behind this growth so the timing is right for the launch of Guy Harvey Spiced Rum. We are very excited.” Guy Harvey Spiced Rum is ideal for consuming on the rocks, with cola, lemon-lime soda or juices. It will also be actively promoted in a version of a traditional rum cocktail known as the Shark Bite. The cocktail consists of ¾ ounces Guy Harvey Spiced Rum, ¾ ounces light rum, ½ ounce blue curacao, 1½ ounces sweet and sour mix and 3 drops of grenadine. Initial distribution has begun in Florida. Plans to take the product to markets outside of Florida in 2015 are currently in the works. Additionally, a second Guy Harvey branded rum offering, an aged blended Jamaican rum, is in development and is expected to be introduced in the spring of 2015. A significant portion of the net proceeds from Guy Harvey Spiced Rum will be used to fund the various projects of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, a non-profit that funds scientific marine research and conservation programs. In particular, the proceeds from Guy Harvey Spiced Rum will fund marine science and outreach programs.

unnamed (43).jpg — Growing to more than 16 feet (5m), tiger sharks are regarded as one of the most dangerous – if not misunderstood – of its species. Tiger sharks are considered apex predators, which live at the top of the ocean’s food chain and help keep the entire marine ecosystem in check. But because of overfishing for its fins, flesh and liver, tiger sharks have landed on the nearly threatened list. OCEARCH, the non-profit research organization tracking great white sharks and other ocean apex predators, prepares to set sail on its first Australian expedition Jan. 27 through Feb. 17, 2015, to study, tag and release tiger sharks near and around the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. To support the expedition, Costa plans to increase its contributions to the cause, donating a portion of each sale from every piece of OCEARCH apparel sold on its website. A long-term OCEARCH partner and supporter of its unprecedented open source research, Costa designed a full line of shirts, hats and other gear to benefit the organization. Three new t-shirts, Mary Lee, Katharine and Lydia, are named after the satellite tagged great white sharks currently pinging via the OCEARCH online Shark Tracker. Customers can support their favorite shark while donating to help protect them and others in their species. Costa also developed a new shirt to commemorate the Australia expedition. “Right now, studies suggest tiger sharks are capable of making long distance migrations and more localized movements, but we don’t really know for sure,” said Chris Fischer, OCEARCH expedition leader. “We want to determine the migration of tiger sharks on the east coast of Australia, as well as better understand their reproductive cycle and environmental changes. We’ll also measure the movements and residency times tiger sharks spend near swimming beaches, and provide long-term monitoring data that can be used in planning public safety.” “Because of OCEARCH’s open source, real-time data reporting, anyone with an Internet connection can follow along with the Australian tiger shark expedition, as well as check up on other tagged sharks from around the world,” said Al Perkinson, vice president of marketing for Costa. “The more we know about these apex predators, the more informed we will be on how to protect them and the ocean environment where they live.” To support OCEARCH through Costa's apparel, visit www.costadelmar.com. Follow along with the OCEARCH Australian expedition by visiting www.ocearch.org/#SharkTracker.

Guy Harvey Outposts' Fish For The Future Cyber Tournament Now Underway for 2015 Global Competition

– Anglers around the planet, courtesy of the free iGHOFISH fishing app, today can compete in worldwide cyber tournament and win awards for various gamefish species as well as monthly prizes. The app, which utilizes software developed by the Snook and Gamefish Foundation (SGF), serves as the official record keeper for the "GHO Fish for the Future" fishing tournament created and monitored by Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts & Lodges. Guy Harvey Outpost will be showcasing the app January 15-18th at the upcoming Dallas Safari Show, a convention that brings big game fishermen and hunters together for unique lodging and adventure experiences worldwide. Mark Ellert, President of Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts & Lodges said tournament catches will automatically populate the SGF’s database of over 130 inshore and offshore species. “Angler catch data goes directly to SGF. The more info forwarded the better and secret spots remain secret.” Running thru 2015, the innovative ‘GHO Fish for the Future’ tournament is open to anglers anywhere in the world. Sponsors for the tournament include GARMIN®, AFTCO® and D.O.A. Lures. Anglers will have a chance to win prizes throughout the tournament by logging their trips through the iGHOFISH app. Prizes include GARMIN’s VIRB elite cameras, Quatix Marine Watches and Echo 301dv Fish Finders, Guy Harvey Apparel by AFTCO, DOA lure packages and Guy Harvey Outpost Resort hotel stays, fishing charters, and more. How to register: The iGHOFISH app allows anglers to record any catch through personal catch logs. Adds Cliff Jensen, director of Sport Fishing for Outpost, “no more toggling around cyberspace finding your fishing photos. All your ‘grin and grab’ photos are in one location, with a complete timeline and logbook of your catch data” The tournament will announce winners and provide prizes at the end of the year for all species in the Master Angler Division and King of the Seas Division, plus 1 wildcard winner. “With the iGHOFISH app we can now actually host a tournament with literally no limit on fishing boundaries, and in the process populate the foundations’ database with valuable catch data,’ noted Ellert. “The iGHOFISH app is a perfect reflection of our Outpost brand focus on convergence of watersport recreation and marine science. It’s ‘must have’ gear in the tackle box of every Guy Harvey Outpost angler.” Created initially by the Snook and Gamefish Foundation (SGF) as a snook species data collection process, their Angler Action program has expanded dramatically with its intuitive user-friendly format and ease of use. “Our fishery database now includes over 30,000 catches,” notes Brett Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the SGF. “We’re excited to have Guy Harvey Outpost help us expand our reach with recreational anglers, especially those committed to data-driven fishery management practices and policies.”