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Return ‘Em Right Best Release Practices Manual for Recreational Anglers Now Available
Press ReleaseReturn 'Em Right Press ReleaseDecember 13, 2023
Gainesville, Fla. (December 14, 2023) – The Return ‘Em Right Best Release Practices Manual, developed in collaboration with private anglers, captains, scientists and fisheries managers, will help anglers improve the survival of reef fish that are caught and released. Each year, millions of reef fish are caught and released, and many die from the impacts...
Fact or Fiction: Dispelling Myths About Barotrauma, Venting & Descending
Texas Saltwater Fishing MagazineSeptember 1, 2023
Originally featured in Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine September 2023 issue by Nick Haddad Return ‘Em Right Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager New regulations for venting and descending reef fish have sparked conversation and controversy across the Gulf of Mexico. From Facebook fishing groups to online forums and on-the-water fodder, everyone seems to be...
Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina dives into the upcoming snapper season and how anglers should be prepared with a venting tool or a descending device that’s rigged and ready to use on released fish that show signs of barotrauma. Release mortality could be very high when handling certain types of fish like red snapper...
To Use Or Not To Use: A Guide to Venting & Descending Reef Fish
Texas Saltwater Fishing MagazineMay 1, 2023
Originally featured in Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine May 2023 issue by Nick Haddad Return ‘Em Right Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager Required Gear: Don’t Let the Law Ruin Your Day If you are an avid offshore angler, you’ve likely been hearing a lot about venting and descending requirements lately. Last year, the DESCEND Act became effective for...
by Frank Sargeant | Apr 13, 2023 Published in Great Days Outdoors May 2023 issue Reef species are so popular on the table that the last thing most of us want to think about is releasing them after the catch. But with tight harvest rules on most species these days, catch and release is a part of nearly...
Fishing reefs and wrecks in Marathon and the Florida Keys is as common as the postcard sunsets. But bottom fishing can bring with it an all-too-common sight: a deep water fish floating away after being released. It’s called barotrauma, where the fish’s body cavity expands and distorts, leaving them helpless at the surface. Initiatives are...
Tom Rowland Podcast – Episode #744 Nick Haddad is the Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager for Return ‘Em Right which is a new program that is the leading voice for tackling catch and release mortality due to barotrauma in the Gulf of Mexico. Their mission is to improve reef fish survival by equipping anglers with the...
Return ‘Em Right to Tackle Barotrauma in Reef Fish
IGFANovember 29, 2022
Originally featured on The International Game Fish Association website on 11/25/22 by Nick Haddad Return ‘Em Right Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager IGFA All-Tackle Length Records The IGFA established the All-Tackle Length World Record program in 2010 as a conservation-based category that mandates fish be released. With a recent split of the All-Tackle Length records into...
How Anglers & Captains Are Still Working To Restore The Gulf of Mexico’s Marine Ecosystem
Colby BlackwellNovember 28, 2022
by Colby Blackwell Some anglers, fishing captains, and Gulf of Mexico residents may remember the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010 off the coast of Louisiana. I vaguely remember hearing about it as I got a little bit older and I knew of one friend’s family who was affected by the oil spill, but I...
