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Our saltwater recreational fisheries are in crisis or heading quickly in that direction. It used to be that we could go fishing, have fun, go home, and not think about it until the next trip. That is no longer true. Unless recreational anglers become involved in the conservation of their fisheries and habitats, we fear the long term outlook is grim. Recreational anglers are the primary users of coastal habitats, and also major beneficiaries.  Recreational anglers have to become involved to ensure healthy fisheries stay healthy, and fisheries in trouble recover. Consider it an investment in the future of the fisheries.  Get Involved.

Although there are many outside sources of threat to our fisheries that we must address – pollution, habitat loss, long-term overfishing – recreational anglers also have to clean up their own yard.  This is because in some ways recreational anglers are becoming part of the problem. There has been a serious and notable decline in angler ethics and etiquette, and that has to change. How do recreational anglers expect to be taken seriously by management agencies if their behavior does not respect the fisheries, habitats, or other anglers?  The Tribal Bonefish concept is about reviving responsible fishing behavior. Showing the Tribal Bonefish logo means that you ‘get it’, you care about the future of the fisheries, and you encourage others to do the same.

Tribal Bonefish is not about Rights, it’s about Responsibility.  Fishing rights are earned through responsible behavior, they aren’t automatic.  The first step is to restore the ethics to recreational fishing. It used to be that young fishermen had a mentor who taught them not only how to fish, but how to behave, to respect the resource and other anglers.  This has become more rare with each passing year.  Nowadays, many anglers behave poorly because they don't know any better. We can fix that with some straightforward education.

But there is also a growing segment of the recreational angling community that is behaving irresponsibly on purpose, knowing that their behavior is negatively impacting the fishery and other anglers.  These anglers are concerned with getting fish today with no care for how their actions impact the future of the fishery, or an amazing level of denial that their actions impact the fishery. This has to stop, and the best way to combat this behavior is to overwhelm it with responsible behavior.

The Tribal Bonefish philosophy is not exclusive to any sector of the recreational angling community – spin, fly, plug, bait, boat, kayak, wading – in the end it’s all about the fish and fishery.  Responsible behavior is applicable to all anglers.

The future of our recreational fisheries comes down to which angler ends up representing the fishery – the Tribal Bonefish (Responsible) angler or the Ugly (Irresponsible) Angler.

Tribal Bonefish is:

1. Fishing Responsibly
2. Habitat Conservation
3. Fisheries Conservation

Get Involved. The Future of Fishing is at stake.

All materials copyright 2009, 2010. Tribal Bonefish name and logo TM.