Charles Witek

Freelance outdoor writer, angler, salt water fisheries conservation advocate, attorney

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

Here on Long Islanud, the saltwater fishing season started out very slow, in part because of a cold winter chilling the water. But is there another underlying factor that should cause us to shiver? https://t.co/Z1tUV9kOBJ

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@whatisny Yes, that's a thresher shark. No doubt at all.

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

Listen to a few fisheries debates, and you'll soon hear someone complain about "corporate greed" warping the management process, with the implication being it comes from the commercial fishery. But that's not where greed and clout usually come from.https://t.co/wAno7WmJeP

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

The angling industry and anglers' rights organizations claim that there are more South Atlantic red snapper than anyone alive has ever seen. However, well-respected scientific data does not support their position. https://t.co/391zkfjpmV

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

A week ago, a federal district court judge enjoined NMFS from permitting any fishing pursuant to exempted fishing permits that would have negated the annual catch limit in the recreational South Atlantic red snapper fishery. Why did that happen?https://t.co/CLqqQOUgZx

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

Over all the uproar and feigned indignation over South Atlantic red snapper exempted fishing permits one fact is largely being ignored: About 95% of the red snapper killed by recreational fishermen are not kept and eaten but end up returned to the water.https://t.co/srJo5mRNAY

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@PokeMarr Unfortunately, the Florida FWC is largely peopled by wealthy hunters and fishermen with no formal education in biology, not by fisheries scientists, although there are good biologists elsewhere in the state management process.

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@CyberPunkCortes Even when I was a boy, in the mid-1960s, I remember a lobster dealer in Plymouth, MA that had tanks of 10- and 12-pound lobsters that my parents would buy and take home; bigger ones were avialable, the 10s and 12s were just more plentiful

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@Unpop_Science The SA red snapper debate has been going on since at least 2007. Everyone knows what needs to be done; all bottom fishing off northern Florida needs to be closed for about 3 months in winter to get anglers' release mortality under control. But no one wants to make the hard choice

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

Shark depredation--what happens when a shark steals a fish from a commercial or, particularly, a recreational fisherman, has become a hot button issue for East coast fisheries managers. A new paper suggests some reasons for why and when it occurs. https://t.co/BSFymc0A7r

[ASMFC @ASMFC]

Atlantic Coast Fisheries News for the week of May 18th: ASMFC releases new RFP, celebrating National Safe Boating Week, and new hints about the evolution of deep-sea fish! Read the newsletter here!
https://t.co/1NHB49IaDG

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@QueensCrapper Tell me about it. Came home from Washington on Amtrak a week ago, only to find that I couldn't take the LIRR from Penn Station to Jamaica--and beyond--because of a tunnel fire. Unreliable mass transit is not a substitute for personal vehicles.

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

A new lawsuit, brought by the commercial fishing industry, is challenging the recently-issued exempted fishing permits that will allow anglers in the South Atlantic to grossly overfish red snapper. Predictably, the angling industry is defending overharvest https://t.co/o8NlR92ca5

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

In 2026, bluefin tuna anglers can expect their largest allocation of bluefin in many years. With 2025 landings coming in slightly below the U.S. quota, there will be no paybacks, so we can expect a longer season and less restrictive regulations this year. https://t.co/Ekq5URHO7e

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@the_tom_hirons I'm not a poet, and only write non-fiction. I'm still here because I won't allow anyone to silence my voice. I will speak where and when I choose, and if the fools don't like it, well, maybe that's one reason I stay.

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

NOAA Fisheries has just granted exempted fishing permits that will allow the four South Atlantic states to set recreational red snapper seasons. Last year, a two-day season led to mild overfishing. What will this year's 39 and 62-day seasons do? https://t.co/tExmGAjDni

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires "a fair and balanced apportionment" of regional fishery management council seats. But in the real world, that's just not happening. https://t.co/gTfBj9zXrM

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act was signed 50 years ago. It now faces challenges that were not even contemplated in 1976. Can the law still do its job? https://t.co/9g7jnEz7Nc

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

@ChrisO_wiki Glad that I renewed mine last year

[Charles Witek @CharlesWitek]

Recent research suggests that eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna migrate to North American waters to feed and benefit from restrictive western Atlantic management measures before returning east to spawn. Will NMFS will heed that research when managing bluefin?https://t.co/SWI49Uk7GG