Page 6 - Stuart Exposure - August '24

Page 6, Stuart Exposure
Treasure Coast Outdoors

Crazy Tilefish Rules When the FWC office was called about this, they said, This situation is unacceptable. The recreational season
“Oops!” and corrected their site. To complicate things for both blueline and golden tilefish should be the same.
By Jim Weix further, there is a different season for golden and blueline There is also no valid reason that 97 percent of the
Avid tilefish angler Sam tilefish. allowable catch goes to commercial interests and only 3
Young sent me an email However, both species are caught using electric reels percent to recreational.
after my latest article on in anywhere from 750 to 2,000 feet of water. Have you This is the sort of thing that promotes the idea that
tilefish. In short, he said: “I ever seen what a fish looks like when it is quickly yanked some government people get extra financial benefits.
read your article in Stuart 1,000 feet to the surface? Editor’s note: Jim Weix is an avid hunter, angler,
News today regarding golden Anglers are required by law to have a “descending conservationist, as well as an outdoor writer. Jim is included
tilefish. Below is a notice device” so that released fish can be returned to their in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s Hall of Fame for
from the South Atlantic original depth. However, a Magic Wand might work just helping restore thousands of acres of wetlands. Jim is a broker
Council (NOAA fisheries) as well in the case of a fish that was just yanked up from associate with The Keyes Company. He can be reached at
providing notice of the those depths. (772) 341-2941 or by email: jimweix@jimweix.com.
closure of the 2024 golden
tilefish recreational season that lasted almost two months! senior news
Long story short, the allocation of the total allowable
catch is 97 percent going to commercial interests, and
a ‘whopping’ 3 percent goes to recreational. Yep,
recreational gets 3 percent. Not even close to equitable. Council On Aging Martin The bracelet
The season is closed in the app Fish Rules so no one can Offering Circle Of Safety uses the latest
claim they didn’t know. technology to help
Thought you should know, and your readers too. For Loved Ones With protect and locate
Everyone should be letting NOAA know that this allocation individuals before
must be equitable for recreational anglers.” Memory Issues they are hurt or
W ha t he wa s lost or worse. The
politely telling me It only takes a moment – a loved one with memory bracelet gives off a
was that tilefish issues wanders away, and the panicked search begins. signal that is read
season was closed Sometimes the person is found quickly and returned safely by a special tracking system monitored by the Martin
when the anglers – but not always. County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies are trained,
caught the fish. This The Council on Aging Martin County is offering a certified and equipped with SafetyNet Search and Rescue
seemed rather strange better way to help individuals with cognitive conditions receivers to act quickly in an emergency. The signal works
since the anglers had like dementia and Alzheimer’s and the families that love even in densely wooded areas, buildings, shallow water
been stopped that day them. and areas where even GPS and cellular technology aren’t
by the FWC. Their The Circle of Safety Program provides SafetyNet effective.
fish were examined, bracelets to those in need. The bracelet is lightweight and “With the sheriff’s office, the Council on Aging, and
and they went on their worn around the ankle, where it stays in place and isn’t families working together,” Ripper said, “we can build a
way. If you went to the bothersome like a wrist bracelet. It stays on all the time. circle of safety and protection around our most vulnerable
FWC site for fishing It’s waterproof. And it’s free. loved ones.”
seasons, it said that “We see the heartbreak in families when a loved one Martin County residents can get enrollment information
it was open all year, wanders. When we were offered a grant from the WellMed for the Circle of Safety Program by calling the Council on
with a bag limit of one Tom Flynn and the author caught a Charitable Foundation for a program that really works and Aging Martin at (772) 223-7800 or visiting its offices at
per person. few fish dinners. is cost-free for our families, Council on Aging jumped at the Kane Center, 900 S.E. Salerno Road in Stuart. More
it,” said Council on Aging Martin CEO Karen Ripper. information is available at its website www.coamartin.org.

Good Works from page 5

get to a doctor’s office or a clinic because of transportation
problems,” said Martin County Healthy Start Coalition CEO
Samantha Suffich. “It’s been a long, hard road, but thanks
to our supportive partners and the compelling mission to
connect women with prenatal care early in their pregnancy,
we’re here and ready to roll.”
The MOM Mobile is a 38-foot van equipped like a
prenatal care office, with an exam table, lab facilities,
radiology equipment and an educational area. Midwives
will staff the van as it makes its rounds to five locations in
Martin County: East Stuart, Golden Gate, Hobe Sound and
Indiantown. Expectant women will get the same high level
of care that they would get in the typical medical setting
and have an opportunity to meet doulas who can help them
through their pregnancy and birth. The staff is bilingual and
representative of the clients who will be served.
“This is going to make a tremendous difference in the
health of women who haven’t been able to access prenatal
care and ultimately to the health of their babies,” said Dr.
Ashley Calderone, president of the Martin County Healthy
Start Coalition Board of Directors. “We know stories of
women who have had to take as many as three buses in this
county with limited public transportation to get to an office
appointment. That’s a huge strain, and sometimes women just
give up on getting prenatal care. Our MOM Mobile changes
everything for them!”
The mobile unit was purchased and outfitted with
grants from Martin County, which allocated a portion
of the American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to the
county as part of the federal government’s response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, plus a $100,000 Impact Grant from
Impact100 Martin. Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, 100
Women Who Care of the Treasure Coast and the Martin
County Department of Health all contributed assistance and
equipment. The program will be sustained thanks to funding
from the Children’s Services Council of Martin County, the
Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
and the Hobe Sound Community Chest.
For more information about the MOM Mobile, its
neighborhood schedule, and the many other services of
the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, visit www.
mchealthystart.org.
For more information about Martin County Healthy
Start Coalition and its ongoing programs, visit www.
mchealthystart.org, call (772) 463-2888 or follow the
organization on Facebook.