--Chad Love

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (try saying that five times fast) is rolling out new parameters to determine recreational saltwater fishing harvest estimates, the results of which help determine seasonal limits all along the eastern seaboard.

From this story in the Boston Herald:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on today announced that it’s using a new way to estimate the amount of fish caught by recreational saltwater anglers on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the result of years of work on how to make the numbers more accurate. The new estimates will have an impact on millions of fishermen and those who make a living from recreational fishing.

--Chad Love

In an age of reduced funding sources, declining hunter participation, and increases in the average age of hunters, can cash-strapped state wildlife agencies afford to continue offering exemptions to hunting and fishing licenses? That's the issue facing Kansas as its wildlife department prepares to ask the state legislature to eliminate the state's senior citizen exemption for hunting and fishing licenses.

From this story in the Wichita Eagle:
Kansas senior citizens could be required to buy hunting and fishing licenses after this year. For decades, residents 65 and over have been exempt from the annual permits that currently sell for about $18 each. Chris Tymeson of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission said Thursday that the agency will ask the Legislature to remove the exemption.

--Chad Love

As if normal sharks aren't interesting enough, scientists in Australia have discovered the world's first instance of "hybrid" sharks.

From this story on foxnews.com:

Scientists have discovered the world's first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, with multiple generations of the new creature found along the nation's east coast. Scientists say the discovery of interbred sharks could signal the presence of new "tropical" sharks in waters as far south as Sydney, The Australian reported. "Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting hybrids and their offspring is extraordinary," said Jennifer Ovenden from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

--Chad Love

No-good heartless bastards recently stole a disabled, wheelchair-bound St. Louis, Missouri angler's entire inventory of fishing tackle from his van.

From this story on kplr11.com:

"...Someone apparently targeted Willie Vickers because he was an amputee who didn`t always have the stamina to bring his gear in from his van in the 4500 block of Ashland in North St. Louis, after hours of fishing. The water at Fairgrounds Park in North St. Louis and all that swims beneath the surface have been calling to Vickers since boyhood. 'I remember my first fish,' he said, recalling how a kind neighbor couple took him fishing for the first time more than 40 years ago. He was the only one of them to catch a fish that day.