Coastal Advocacy Adventures Podcast

David Aparicio is a 3rd generation commercial fishermen and 1st generation oyster farmer, and Mario Marquez is an oyster aquaculture specialist working for Sea Grant. Both men know their way around an oyster. Tune in to learn about oyster farm life, what is required to get an oyster mariculture permit in Texas, farming obstacles and opportunities. Be sure to check out David's company DJ's Oyster Co @djsoysterco on Instagram.

Hannah Kaplan - owner and operator of Barrier Beauties - discusses her oyster farm near Bolivar, the ins and outs of the permitting process, and future possibilities for her operations. Hannah and her team have braved new waters and have found a way to provide a sustainable product to a desperate market. We owe them and all the Texas oyster farming pioneers a big thank you for their entrepreneurial spirit.

Dr. Mike Wetz joins Shane and John to highlight a new initiative called Bringing Baffin Back. Bringing Baffin Back (BBB) is a sustained commitment to dramatically improve the health of Baffin Bay and the surrounding economy through partnerships between scientists and stakeholders who want the bay to thrive. Texan By Nature recently selected BBB as one of four projects that will receive up to 18 months of tailored support through its Conservation Wrangler project in 2022. Led by Dr. Michael Wetz, Chair for Coastal Ecosystem Processes at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Dr. Kiersten Stanzel, Director of Partnerships for the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, BBB consists of a stakeholder group of at least 131 members that seek to address the key issues in the decline of Baffin Bay watershed. Learn more by listening to this episode and watching this video - https://youtu.be/ZPP0V1EnyT4

We all want more oysters, and in the process of considering management options for the fishery, we need to prioritize the value of oyster IN the water. Comment today - https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/202203_oyster.phtml

Scott McLeod and Mike Weiss are retired TPWD game wardens and residents in Rockport Texas. Listen in as they visit with John Blaha and Shane Bonnot, sharing their perspective on the status of the oyster fishery in Texas.

Casey Shedd of AFTCO (American Fishing Tackle Company)sits down with Pat Murray and Shane Bonnot to discuss the AFTCO brand, the Shedd family conservation legacy, and why fishing matters. Unparalleled quality, performance and reliability - this not only applies to AFTCO products but also the Shedd family. Check out this episode, and then do yourself a favor. Head over to www.aftco.com to support a company that supports conservation and fishing resources.

Shane and Pat discuss the recreational angler's response to the emergency rule to help speckled trout stocks rebound after the devastating February 2021 freeze.

Pat and Shane discuss the impacts of the February 14-19, 2021 freeze event on Texas coastal fisheries, conservation ethics and the responsibility we have as individuals to participate in the recovery of spotted seatrout populations. Pat also provides some historical perspective from his experiences working as a fishing as a guide through freeze events in the 1980's. Tune in to the very end to hear the latest news from Texas Parks and Wildlife regarding emergency rule changes. photo credit: John Blaha

Troy recently took a trip to Mexico to retrieve a sail boat that he purchased to begin his life long dream of sailing. He went from sailing calm, beautiful seas to being in a fight for survival against an angry sea as a result from a strong front. He battled massive waves for eight hours, tied himself down to the wheel and did everything in his power to stay alive during the worst 8 hours of his life. Tune into this episode to learn more about his ordeal and how you can help Troy to get his boat off the Padre Island National Seashore. To help Troy, please consider going to his GoFundMe page and donating a few bucks - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-troy-sink-the-boat-and-stay-out-of-jail?qid=895172be3a57b024a049c7137499223a

Brian Little - owner/operator of Sabine Skiffs discusses conservation, fishing, philosophy of life and designing/building some of the hottest poling skiffs on the market today. It was a pleasure to spend time with a kindred spirit and record this episode. Thank you Brian Little!

Dagger Island is an island in Nueces County, Texas and part of Aransas Pass, Texas. At one point in time, Dagger Island was a nearly continuous, solid island separating Corpus Christi Bay and Redfish Bay. Erosion, primarily from increased ship traffic to the Port of Corpus Christi, has decreased the size of the island and broken it into a chain of smaller islands. This decline altered the function and values provided to the Redfish Bay system, including protection of large stands of seagrasses, which are important for water quality in the bay. Shane and John Blaha talk to Paul Silva of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the lead biologist for the Dagger Island and Ransom Island Restoration Project. For more information - go to https://ccatexas.org/cca-texas-supports-dagger-island-restoration-project-250000-gift-supports-ducks-unlimiteds-gulf-coast-initiative/

Shane, David Sikes, Dr. David McKee and Captain Chuck Naiser discuss Flatsworthy - Diverse Anglers, Mutual Respect. FlatsWorthy, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization, is a coalition of diverse anglers practicing mutual respect while sharing the same resource. They accomplish their mission through public awareness and education, participation in habitat restoration, and involvement with state and federal agencies in resource protection. Flatsworthy is a movement, a worthy cause and is leading change by example.

Patrick D. "Pat" Murray, President of Coastal Conservation Association, sits down with Shane to discuss conservation, angler science, and the "art of fishing". Pat has served in a variety of positions within the organization in his 20-year tenure, including leadership roles in state and national operations, state and federal advocacy, development fundraising and grassroots membership cultivation. Prior to joining CCA, he owned and operated a light-tackle fishing guide service along the upper Texas coast. Throughout his career, Pat has won numerous awards for his magazine writing and is the author of Texas Fish and Game Publishing’s best-selling book “Pat Murray’s No-Nonsense Guide to Coastal Fishing.” Check out his website www.patrickdmurray.net to see some remarkable photography, publications, and much much more free content.

Listen in to the 3rd annual flounder discussion with Kevin Burns and Wayne Pedigo. Shane and the guys talk about the continued decline of southern flounder stocks and some potential options to help recover the fishery to historical numbers. Disclaimer - at the time of recording this podcast none of the thoughts shared are official proposals for management changes.

Shane sits down with Gary Glick from Friends of RGV Reef. RGV reef is a 1650-acre artificial reef 12 miles from South Padre Island. Have a listen to this episode and then go on over to http://www.rgvreef.com/ and like their Facebook Page - Friends of RGV Reef.

Shane discusses Oyster Mariculture in Texas with Dr. Joe Fox and Brad Lomax. Dr. Fox is Chair for Marine Resource Development at Harte Research Institute and Brad is the president and founder of Water Street Restaurants. Both of these dudes are passionate about oysters and are working with numerous partners (including CCA) to bring a new industry to the Texas Coast. Have a listen to learn more.

Shane and John share an afternoon with James Fox and his wife, Laura, to discuss guiding on the mid-Texas coast. This legend and pony-tail rocking icon of the Texas Coast has plenty to share about the redfish wars, conservation issues, guide life, and surviving Vibrio.

Shane Bonnot and John Blaha talk with Chris Bush, the mastermind behind The Speckled Truth (http://www.thespeckledtruth.com/). The Speckled Truth is your one stop shop for tips, tactics, insights, and conservation-minded content for catching (and releasing) big trout. Subjects discussed: Trout conservation, collecting catch data on large trout, lunar phases, finding fishing spots, arty vs live bait mentality, and trout behavior.

Wayne Pedigo, Captain Mark, Captain Reagan, Kevin Burns and Shane share their thoughts on flounder stocks in Texas and ruminate on various other fishing related topics.

Dr. Todd Sink, Dr. Delbert Gatlin and Brian Ray discuss aquaculture research and its relevance to marine fisheries conservation. If you'd like to learn more about their work or stop by for a visit, check them out at https://wfsc.tamu.edu/facilities/aquacultural-research-and-teaching-facility/