I had the pleasure (again) while working early on a Sunday Morning to chat with my fellow brother-in-arms, Captain Mike Anderson, as we discussed some Conservation Efforts and what several of us are now calling "Operation Trout Taxi" to help relocate/restock them back into the Pinellas Point / Fort Desoto parts of Tampa Bay.
If you are not aware, that location has some of the most scenic and past great fishing in the Tampa Bay area. However, last year, a major chemical spill made a mess of things.
Below is the edited clip link below from the radio show that will hopefully, bring back some more awareness to the problem and conditions that still exist as a result of the spill from last year.
Click Here and push play to listen in or one of our other great Podcast Episodes...
If you would like to find out more about Tampa Bay Watch we also discuss on the show, Here is a quick video below on them and their awesome efforts to help restore the Tampa Bay waters.
And a video on the spill and the (still) ticking bomb that is still located on the south shore of Tampa Bay that could break free and burn off again, and maybe in even a greater amount than before...
From what I have read, not much has been done to mitigate this threat still. And God help us if that area were to get slammed into by a Cat 2 or higher Hurricane... The best option (maybe not perfect, when is there ever one) I have heard, is to start loading this water into double-hulled tankers and getting this water pumped overboard way out into the Gulf of Mexico where it would be so diluted to not create much of a threat, and finally get these ponds emptied once and for all... Again, may not be the perfect solution, but better than just sitting there and waiting for the next breach to occur.
This threat though is not something that would get taken away forever by the natural tidal flows since tides occur in cycles. As such, what may get pulled out on the falling tide, is just going to get pulled back in on the next incoming tide. Sort of like your shampoo bottle says (so you buy more naturally) wash, rinse, and repeat... I managed to find a good video showing how those tides ebb and flow in that part of Tampa Bay.
The economic value and impact of recreational fishing (as per the FWC) just for Saltwater alone in the Great State of Florida is now up from 6 Billion last time I checked to a now staggering 9.2 Billion dollars! And when combined with Freshwater recreational fishing is a combined- $13.8 billion... As I have always said, "If you want to get someone's attention, hit them in the wallet." That is a vast amount of money that our "Elected officials" really need to remember and pay some serious attention to. Much more so than say, other special industries that don't come that close in dollars generated I would think...?
As always though, really enjoyed my time chatting with Brother Mike, and Flats Nation is looking forward to working on more projects with Reel Animals shortly while helping to keep this ever-present problem with the Piney Point wastewater in the minds of the Flats Fishing Community.
We invite you to take in a few Flats Nation Podcast Episodes to help "Scratch that Fishing Itch" when working or traveling and you just cannot hitch up the Skiff and go, on these links:
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Tight Lines, and God Bless!
Dave and the Team
