Florida’s Bold Plan for Better Fishing (Florida’s Coastal Corridor)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Salt Strong Podcast
Florida now has roughly $15 million on the table to improve fishing around the state.
But this is NOT just another artificial reef program.
The Florida Coastal Corridor could eventually connect and improve habitat from our estuaries and seagrass flats all the way out to nearshore and offshore waters.
In this episode, Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida Executive Director Nick Wiley reveals where the money is going, how quickly they want to use it, and how anglers can help decide where new habitat is needed.
If you fish anywhere in Florida, you need to hear this!
Click Here To Learn More About Florida’s Coastal Corridor.
What Is Florida’s Coastal Corridor?
Nick described Florida’s Coastal Corridor as one big umbrella for improving the state’s coastal resources.
The initial funding and first projects will focus on artificial reefs and adding structure to the water.
But the long-term vision is much broader.
Nick said the initiative could eventually include habitat restoration and protection involving mangroves, seagrass, salt grass, estuaries, living shorelines, reefs, and corals.
The goal is to identify gaps in Florida’s fisheries habitat and create a connected system that supports fish from the estuaries all the way offshore.
Nick said the program will maintain a “laser focus” on enhancing fisheries habitat, boosting fish stocks, and creating more opportunities for anglers, boaters, and divers.
Where Will The Money Go?
Deploying an artificial reef requires approved materials, environmental clearances, contractors, barges, cranes, and other heavy equipment.
According to Nick, many counties want to build more fisheries habitat, but they have not had enough funding to get larger projects into the water.
Some counties already have suitable reef material stockpiled and ready to go.
Nick said this new funding can serve as the catalyst that finally gets those projects deployed.
The program technically has about four years to spend the money, but Nick wants it in the water much sooner.
He said they would love to spend it within a year if the right projects and partnerships come together. Their working goal is to use the money within two or three years, if not sooner.
Nick also said they want to see some major deployments happen within the next year.
Areas being considered include the Gold Coast around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the Emerald Coast and Panhandle, and the stretch from Jacksonville through Merritt Island.
How Will Anglers Be Involved?
FWC will develop a strategic framework to determine where Florida’s greatest fisheries habitat needs and gaps exist.
Nick said that process will include anglers, scientists, stakeholders, and coastal communities.
FWC plans to hold a series of public meetings across the state.
There will also be electronic ways for anglers to provide input if they cannot attend a meeting.
Those public input channels were not open at the time of this conversation, but Nick said information about the meetings and other ways to participate would be announced over the following months.
Nick wants anglers to identify areas where structure or habitat is missing.
That input will then be considered alongside the science and the economic needs of Florida’s coastal communities.
The program will also have to report annually to the Florida Legislature and FWC.
Reef deployments will be monitored to document how the reefs develop and what benefits they provide.
Nick said success means more than simply spending the money and completing contracts.
The reefs must be placed in the right areas, improve fisheries, benefit coastal economies, and create results anglers can see.
If the program can prove that it works, Nick believes it can attract additional legislative, corporate, and philanthropic funding for even more fisheries habitat.
Final Thoughts
A new reef can begin attracting fish on day one.
Over the following year or two, it can become a living reef that supports baitfish, larger fish, spawning areas, production, survival, and the broader food web.
Now the challenge is getting the right habitat into the right places.
Nick specifically asked anglers to help hold the program accountable and participate when FWC opens its public meetings and feedback channels.
Where do you think Florida needs more fisheries habitat?
Let us know your area and what is missing in the comments!
And if you know a Florida angler who needs to hear about this new program, please TAG or SHARE this article with them.
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I’m IN !!!! Who wouldn’t be ? Let’s get moving !!!
Dont know couldn’t tell you because in the jacksonville northeast fl region where I live and fish in really haven’t noticed any areas void of structure for fish with plenty of docks, and oyster mounds, and shoreline grass i really can’t say what we should have up here more then what we already have but what gets me is why is the dwc so good at looking into important matters like this but then drop the ball on flounder rules and let the commercial giggers gig ALL year long with no closed seasons but then close it to us recreational anglers and use the excuse saying because our stocks in Florida are on decline when common sense tells you that the giggers that gig at night being unchecked are really the culprits to blame for the stock decline any idiot could figure that one out because its all about MONEY and who can grease the others palm the best and commercial fishing is big money sad but true but it is what it is I also find it hard to believe that if the fwc has all this money then why do they seem to be hardly around anymore I very seldom see any fwc boats checking anglers on the water like they used to before covid think about it🤔
I would like to see Kayak launches it is hit or Miss
I want one of those corridor hats!
Great to see investment in our fisheries!!
Thank you Joe and Nick for sharing these initiatives that FWC is working hard to rebuild our fish estuaries. I would love to see the Mosquito Lagoon be considered for part of these projects.
Thank you Joe for bringing this information to our attention. Very interesting and useful.
Joe – Thanks for bringing this gentleman on and making the SS community aware of these efforts. Something SS could do is to make a link in the Quick links section for their website or maybe a conservation section in general. A second thing SS might be able to do is to have the person that liaises with the chapters keep an eye out for these sessions that they are gong to hold and then notify the relevant chapters to plan on representing the inshore angler. AS I explain below I think we need to get the inshore fisherman’s voice heard. Being retired if I knew about it I would go.
Unfortunately what I heard is that improving inshore angling will be a downstream effect of putting reefs out in the Gulf/Atlantic. I get that putting the reefs out there is a very quick and easy(but costly) win. I also understand that Offshore fishing is a much bigger tourist draw and can provide a much easier to measure ROI.
He said that they wouldn’t be putting in structure with a waypoint inshore. Why not? Maybe its a stupid idea and if so please let me know why. Don’t the fish in the bays such as Choctawhatchee Bay(See Farris’s comment below) or Pensacola bay, East Bay, Tampa Bay… congregate on bottom structure? Put in a 5ft tall rock structure in a 20ft deep section of the bay and see what happens.
We could also make sure that organizations like Pensacola and Perdido Bay Estuary Program and the Choctawhatchee Bay Estuary programs are dialed in as these groups are putting in oyster reefs and planting seagrass to help the fisheries in their respective bays. I would have to guess these groups have inshore projects lined up waiting for money!!! I am guessing there are similar organizations all up and down Florida’s coast.
SS has the reach and the organization to really make the case for the inshore fisheries, make a difference in getting some of that money directed inshore.
I’m not one to say hey go do this, if you need some help let me know what I can do.
Excellent pod cast. Love the intensity
Several years ago, Governor DeSantis, his administration and various groups put together $25+ million to improve the issues of algae, cattle ranch runoff and redistribution of freshwater down through central Florida and to inject clean freshwater into the everglades and along Florida’s south coast. Can you update us regarding the status of this project along with any success from this project?