Coastal Conservation Association Florida And Duke Energy Continue ‘Release the East’ Efforts In Northeast Florida
The Nonprofit-corporate partnership released an additional 20,000 redfish in Flagler, St Johns and Duval Counties in Past Two Weeks
Orlando, Fla. – April 13, 2023 – Today, Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida), the state’s leading organization dedicated to marine fisheries conservation, education, and advocacy, joined the Duke Energy Mariculture Center and Mud Hole Custom Tackle to continue addressing the loss of the redfish population along Florida’s East Coast by releasing 8,000 hatchery-reared, juvenile redfish (about five to nine inches in length) in Jacksonville – completing its Northeast redfish releases.
“We are excited to resume our ‘Release the East’ efforts and finish our Northeast releases in Duval County,” CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski said. “In the past two weeks, in partnership with the Duke Energy Mariculture Center, we have released 20,000 redfish in Palm Coast, St. Augustine and Jacksonville, and we could not be moreproud to continue our commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s marine resources and revitalizing the redfish population along the East Coast.”
In recent years, Florida’s redfish population has drastically declined as a result of water quality issues and loss of habitat. To counteract these effects, CCA Florida and the Duke Energy Mariculture Center have taken a proactive approach to habitat restoration, water quality projects as well as restocking one of Florida’s most sought-after inshore fish, the redfish.
This latest release is part of a multifunctional and multiyear strategy to rebuild and maintain game fish stocks. Since 2018, CCA Florida and Duke Energy have released more than 226,000 redfish and spotted seatrout across Florida’s coasts to help provide abundant recreational fishing opportunities.
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