{"id":17458,"date":"2022-12-09T14:18:15","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T19:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=17458"},"modified":"2024-08-13T16:00:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T20:00:45","slug":"descending-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/descending-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"An Angler-Inspired Approach: How Descending Devices Can Save North Carolina\u2019s Reef Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cI\u2019m not going to lie to you,\u201d warns Captain Andy Piland, relaying the early morning marine forecast for Hatteras to the small group huddled on the dock. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be rough out there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After experiencing a run of weather-related cancellations and delays for other charters, passengers Ashley Oliver and Meg Withers aren\u2019t going to let their only fishing window in months slip away.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-17552\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A women is holding a large red fish on a boat while someone else attaches a descending device to its mouth\" class=\"wp-image-17552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-scaled.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/AmRedSnapperSeaQ_SeaGrant_SAFMC-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oliver (left) prepares to release a red snapper with a descending device. Credit Sea Grant\/SAFMC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few hours later and twenty miles offshore, Oliver and Withers are hooked up on a couple of large red snapper. They furiously reel each fish up from the depths while fighting to keep their balance on the slick, rocking deck of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Good Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. When the fish are brought aboard, Oliver and Withers quickly dehook, measure, and release them with the aid of a descending device, a newly required piece of fishing gear in the South Atlantic \u2014 and the catalyst for their trip.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oliver and Withers both work for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and are traveling along the Carolina, Georgia, and Florida coasts to talk with anglers about best catch and release fishing practices.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWith more people moving to the coast and fishing the coastal waters, more fish are being caught and released,\u201d says Oliver, a communication fellow with the South Atlantic Sea Grants and SAFMC.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While releasing fish can help conserve their populations, there is more to it than simply tossing them back in the water.&nbsp; The process of capturing and handling fish can result in injuries or death which presents a major conservation issue for some fisheries. The cumulative effects from catch and release can greatly impact overall populations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhat we\u2019re really trying to do is reduce the number of potential dead fish through education,\u201d Oliver says.<br><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Watch a red grouper with barotrauma recompress as a SeaQualizer descender device returns the fish to its original depth. Credit Brendan J. Runde.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Red grouper with barotrauma recompressed with SeaQualizer descender device - NC State CMAST\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gHHCoHF9rNQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Under Pressure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many reef fishes targeted by anglers \u2014 like red snapper \u2014 are found at depths greater than 50 feet. The sudden change in pressure from pulling up one of these fish can cause the gasses in its body to expand, resulting in \u201cbarotrauma.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide wp-image-17464\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2018\" height=\"1514\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde.png\" alt=\"image: Barotrauma symptoms on a small snowy grouper.\" class=\"wp-image-17464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde.png 2018w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-small-snowy-grouper-Runde-1536x1152.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A small snowy grouper with barotrauma. Credit Brendan J. Runde.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A fish in this condition is easy to identify by its protruding stomach, bulging eyes, bloated belly, and sluggish swimming. When released, these fish cannot swim down to their original depth and often float at the surface, where they make an easy meal for sharks and other opportunistic predators.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fortunately, anglers can use descending devices to return fish back to their original depths, where the increased water pressure will recompress them, significantly increasing their chances of survival after release.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As of July 2020, any recreational angler, commercial angler, or charter boat must have a descending device on board and readily available when fishing for snapper-grouper species. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The device must also be attached to a minimum of 16 ounces of weight and a minimum of 60 feet of line.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This regulation covers federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All along the Southeast coast, Oliver and Withers use descending devices while fishing with local anglers and media, working with charter captains \u2014 like Piland of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Good Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u2014 as ambassadors for safe release. They also visit small tackle shops and other venues to provide information and get feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Withers, a citizen-science project coordinator at SAFMC, is also measuring public participation in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/safmc.net\/citizen-science\/safmc-release\/#:~:text=The%20SAFMC%20Release%20project%20partners,fishery%20managers%2C%20and%20technology%20experts.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAFMC Release project<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The project empowers commercial, for-hire, and recreational anglers to provide details about released shallow-water grouper and red snapper using the mobile app <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/scifish\/id1532263467\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SciFish<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How to use a Seaqualizer descending device:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to use a Seaqualizer fish descending device\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZqBEPBdbqJg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Support From All Sides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anglers themselves were the first to advocate for descending device regulations in the U.S. South Atlantic.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Christina Wiegand, a fisheries social scientist at SAFMC, says the council hears a lot from fishers who get frustrated with \u201cregulatory discards\u201d \u2014 mandated catch and release fish. \u201cThey don&#8217;t like to see fish that float off dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cDiscard mortality from hook and line release is one of the primary management concerns for snapper-grouper species,\u201d says McLean Seward, a fisheries biologist with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. \u201cThe use of descending devices and proper fish handling techniques is important to reduce post-release mortality and ensure the sustainability of these species.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAFMC first started discussing whether to propose a rule requiring descending devices on board vessels back in 2018. Similar rules have seen success elsewhere, notably Oregon\u2019s halibut fishery and Washington state\u2019s rockfish fishery. So much success, in fact, that it has reached a point where anglers have started to enforce one another.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wiegand recalls spending a lot of time speaking with law enforcement, particularly in Washington state, getting their input on the proposed South Atlantic rules. \u201cSAFMC really wanted to make sure that fishers had the freedom to use a device that was going to work for them while ensuring that it was effective at sending a fish down and improving survivorship,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Devices can vary in cost and technology, from expensive commercial models that can be programmed to release a fish at a desired depth, to a simple weighted milk crate.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seward explains that for some anglers it is harder to convince them of the importance of using descending devices for smaller fish, but that others have been using them even before the regulation came into effect. \u201cI spoke to one fisherman who reached out to make sure the old homemade device that he has been using \u2014 a weighted inverted hook \u2014 fit the description of a descending device,\u201d he says. Seward added the angler is also part of a fishing club where he has been actively encouraging others to use descending devices.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIt was easily one of the most supported efforts I&#8217;ve seen in the decade that I&#8217;ve been involved in fisheries management,\u201d says Wiegand. \u201cUsually, regulations can be pretty controversial. It&#8217;s hard to get all fishers on board. But we really saw a lot of positive reaction when we were going to put this regulation in place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How to use a Shelton fish descender:<br><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to use a Shelton fish descender device\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AT9K-zyVpB4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Boots on the Ground<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When much of the world ground to a halt during the pandemic, outdoor activities remained a popular means of social distancing for many. In fact, recreational fishing saw a noticeable uptick \u2014<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0254652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about one extra fishing trip per five anglers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&nbsp; \u2014 in Spring 2020 alone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A multitude of tackle shops dot the Carolina coastline from Carova to Sunset Beach. The mostly mom-and-pop businesses cater to the local anglers and weekend warriors. Oliver and Withers were surprised to discover that very few of these shops carry or even know what descending devices are.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cA lot of people know about barotrauma: the bulging eyes, the stomach coming out of the mouth, fish floating off \u2014 but not descending devices,\u201d Oliver says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their initial observations from the Outer Banks seemed to indicate some North Carolina anglers were unaware of the new rules.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide wp-image-17579\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868.jpg\" alt=\"Ashley Oliver standing at a podium presenting a slideshow projected behind her to an audience \" class=\"wp-image-17579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/DSC01868-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oliver giving a presentation at the 2022 North Carolina Coastal Conference. Credit Dan DiNicola<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe South Atlantic\u2019s descending device regulation went into effect in the middle of COVID and so a lot of the outreach we did was virtual,\u201d explains Julia Byrd, the citizen science program manager at SAFMC.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIt is very exciting to have Ashley and Meg on board because they&#8217;re able to get out there and visit tackle shops, give presentations, and go to the captains,\u201d Byrd says. \u201cIt is an important part of the outreach that we haven&#8217;t been able to do over the past couple of years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the majority of interactions Oliver and Withers have had with anglers have been positive, some anglers have been more skeptical of SAFMC\u2019s messaging.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThese interactions are a great opportunity even if someone does have concerns about a particular species, such as red snapper,\u201d says Withers. \u201cBy speaking with us, fishers get a sense of who the Council is, how they can ask questions, where they can make a public comment, and how they can get involved. So even those interactions may feel a little bit more stressful, they\u2019re just as \u2014 if not more \u2014 valuable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How to use a milk crate as a descending device:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to use a milk crate descending device\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oaXpBMY0_rM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mobilizing Anglers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/scifish\/id1532263467\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SciFish app<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> through SAFMC\u2019s Release project is a valuable opportunity for anglers to share what they see on the water. If they disagree with the data used to make decisions, this is one way that they can contribute to the process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Withers is encouraging commercial, for-hire, and recreational anglers to download the app and submit release information, such as fish length, depth, type of hook and placement, shark depredation, and whether they used a descending device.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender.png\" data-fullsize=\"1210x1508\" data-zoom=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1210\" height=\"1508\" src=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender.png\" alt=\"image: red snapper on a descending device.\" class=\"wp-image-17463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender.png 1210w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender-241x300.png 241w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender-822x1024.png 822w, https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/12\/Barotrauma-red-snapper-on-descender-768x957.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1210px) 100vw, 1210px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Red snapper on a descending device. Credit Brendan J. Runde.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThis information is really valuable because it helps us to better estimate the age and survivorship of those released fish, and, in particular, to get a sense of how many people are using descending devices and how often,\u201d Withers says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAFMC is also collecting data on where people learn about the SciFish app to understand how information spreads within the fishing community and to evaluate outreach strategies moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SAFMC already has learned that partnering with leaders in the fishing community is crucial for broader public adoption of best fishing practices. If the message is coming from well-respected anglers, rather than a governmental agency, it likely will spread further and find greater acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Withers and Oliver say they are beginning to see their hard work pay off. The SAFMC Release project is gaining momentum, and more anglers are signing up and submitting their catch and release information. In addition, by combining the outreach efforts and scope of the best fishing practices campaign with the Release project, they can now track if anglers report using descending devices.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The benefits of best fishing practices have convinced other areas around the country to implement their own descending device regulations.&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlier this year, NOAA enacted the similar DESCEND Act (Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act) for the Gulf of Mexico, which requires persons on commercial, for-hire, and private recreational vessels to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish species.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If history is any indicator, the value of in-person interactions will be crucial there as well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oliver recalls one conversation with an Outer Banks angler that stood out to her in particular: \u201cIt&#8217;s good to see they [government agencies] are sending people out to our tackle shops. This is what we want \u2013 we want to talk to people face to face.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lead image: a graysby grouper about to be released with the aid of a descending device. Credit SAFMC.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Select images and recompression video courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brendanrunde.com\/\">Brendan Runde<\/a>. Additional videos provided by the <a href=\"https:\/\/myfwc.com\/\">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Visit the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/safmc.net\/best-fishing-practices\/\">best fishing practices hub<\/a> to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dan DiNicola is a science writer and digital content producer for North Carolina Sea Grant.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-related-stories\"><h2 class=\"related-stories__label\">Related<\/h2><div class=\"ncst-component__related-stories-container\"><a \n      href=\"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/magazine\/winter-2022\/\"\n      class=\"ncst-component__bold-link text-link\"\n                >\n    <span class=\"text\">Winter 2022 Issue<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"><svg class=\"wolficon wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" role=\"img\"  aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\">\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To reduce barotrauma and increase rates of survival during catch and release, descending devices are now required on all vessels targeting snapper and grouper in the Southeast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":17559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"Dan DiNicola","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"displayCategoryID\":590,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"To reduce barotrauma and increase rates of survival during catch and release, descending devices are now required on all vessels targeting snapper and grouper in the Southeast.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[576,602,590],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[642],"class_list":["post-17458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-576","category-fishing","category-winter-2022"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":590,"name":"Winter 2022","slug":"winter-2022","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":591,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":576,"count":15,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.6 - 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