Florida Panther Births Encouraging

With spring in full bloom, some positive signs have emerged about Florida’s endangered panther. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) have been busy documenting active Florida panther dens filled with kittens. A total of four dens, with three kittens apiece, have been documented so far [...]

Anglers Help Biologists in Tarpon Research

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory continue to gather valuable tarpon information with the help of Florida anglers. By analyzing DNA samples collected by anglers, biologists gain insight into tarpon movement and distribution as well as their ability to withstand fishing pressures. [...]

Free Freshwater Florida Fishing Over Easter Weekend

Both residents and nonresidents in Florida can fish in public fresh waters across the state without a license during the weekend of April 3 and 4. All other fishing rules apply. The Florida Legislature and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) designated the first full weekend in April each year to be Florida’s Free [...]

DEP Funds $80,855 Cape Coral Water Quality Project

CAPE CORAL – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced a partnership with the city of Cape Coral to successfully complete the repair of the Chiquita Boat Lock. “This partnership effort is an outstanding example of interagency cooperation that provides widespread water quality improvements and increased navigation,” said Jon Iglehart, Director of District [...]

Florida Wildlife Officer Continues to Recover

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Vann Streety is recovering well from injuries he sustained in a July 2009 shooting that occurred while working in Brevard County. Streety reports he is feeling healthy, both emotionally and physically. His left arm, injured by a .45-caliber round, has healed well.  He is continuing with the [...]

CDC to Monitor Reactions and Errors Associated with Blood Transfusions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched the first national surveillance system to monitor adverse events in patients who receive blood transfusions.

Help Florida Wildlife Affected by Cold Weather

The figures are astounding and unprecedented. More than 4,500 sea turtles were rescued from the cold water in January. Manatee carcasses continue to appear, putting the deaths for 2010 at more than 200 after only one month. For comparison, the highest number of manatee deaths for a single calendar year is 429. Massive efforts by [...]

Watching Wildlife in Florida

Watching wildlife is such big business in Florida that Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed Jan. 25-31 Florida Birding & Wildlife Watching and Natural Resource Education Week. More people travel to Florida each year to view wildlife than to any other state, according to research by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). That spells big [...]

Record Temps Lead to Record Manatee Count

After nearly two weeks of record cold weather in Florida, biologists counted an all-time-high number of manatees during the annual synoptic survey the week of Jan. 11. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reported a preliminary count of 5,067 manatees statewide. A team of 21 observers from 10 [...]

Catch and Release of Snook, Tarpon and Bonefish Still Allowed

While the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order on Jan. 15 that temporarily extends closed harvest seasons for snook statewide and establishes temporary statewide closed harvest seasons for bonefish and tarpon, the FWC advises anglers that catch-and-release fishing for these important game fish species is still allowed. The FWC appreciates [...]

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