On Tuesday, February 5th, CCA Florida, Duke Energy and the FWC will begin releasing over 10,000 juvenile and adult redfish in southwest Florida counties beginning with a 1,000+ redfish release in Pasco County.
We’d welcome the participation or attendance of anyone interested to take part in the releases. Please see the attached media alert for more details. Additional details on the statewide program are below. Please reach out with any questions. Thank you.
Each of the five upcoming releases include approximately 1,000 to 1,500 juvenile fish and 25 to 30 adult redfish per county, all hatchery-reared at the Duke Energy Mariculture Center. Tentative release dates include:
- February 5 – Pasco County (Brashers Park, 11 a.m.)
- February 7 – Hillsborough County (Cockroach Bay Ramp, 11 a.m.) and Pinellas County (Ft. De Soto Park, 3 p.m.)
- February 12 – Sarasota and Charlotte Counties (locations TBD)
- February 19 – Lee and Collier Counties (locations TBD)
TBD – Manatee County
“We’re extremely excited to begin releasing these fish now that the waters are determined to be safe,” said Brian Gorski, CCA Florida Executive Director. “Between these releases, encouraging anglers to catch-and-release and promoting conservation, we’re going to see this fishery improve, and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
“Duke Energy is committed to helping protect and preserve Florida’s natural environment,” said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida president. “Our Mariculture Center advances environmental stewardship throughout the state by partnering with state/local agencies and universities on restoration projects. The redfish we are donating will have long-term positive environmental impacts in the affected areas and we’re proud to play a small part in the solution to the recent red tide occurrence.”
“We are thankful for the leadership and efforts of CCA and Duke Energy on making this redfish enhancement possible,” said Eric Sutton, FWC Executive Director. “We are proud to be a partner.”
Anglers can become engaged by joining CCA Florida at JoinCCA.org. For more information, visit the Facebook page or ccaflorida.org.
Contact: Teresa Donaldson| 407.923.3530 | tdonaldson@ccaflorida.org
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The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) was founded in 1977 after drastic commercial overfishing along the Texas coast decimated redfish and speckled trout populations. One of 19 state chapters, CCA Florida became the fifth state chapter in 1985. A 501(c)3 non-profit, the purpose of CCA is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. Through habitat restoration projects, water quality initiatives and fisheries advocacy, CCA Florida works with its over 18,000 members including recreational anglers and outdoor enthusiasts to conserve and enhance marine resources and coastal environments. Join the conversation on Facebook or learn more at ccaflorida.org.
Duke Energy Florida owns and operates a diverse generation mix, including natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about 9,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.8 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area. Duke Energy Florida is a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK). Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The company’s Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S. A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2018 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ 2018 “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s mission is to conserve fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. Florida’s fish and wildlife belong to the people of Florida, and the FWC is entrusted to take care of these precious resources. The FWC protects and manages more than 575 species of wildlife, over 200 native species of freshwater fish and more than 500 native species of saltwater fish while balancing these species’ needs with the needs of approximately 19 million residents and the millions of visitors who share the land and water with Florida’s wildlife. Learn more at myfwc.com.