Researchers with Texas Sea Grant are sponsoring a webinar Wednesday evening seeking public input in keeping Baffin Bay healthy and productive for both commercial and sport fishing.
Anyone interested in participating in the Zoom meeting can RSVP to www.tx.ag/BaffinRSVP.
The webinar on Water Quality and Fisheries will run from 6 to 8 p.m., and will consist of an overview of efforts to protect the watershed, a panel discussion with a question-and-answer segment including academic researchers, local fishing guides, commercial fishing operators and assorted state and federal agencies.
Following that, attendees will be able to provide input on concerns and prioritizing needs to help set both short- and long-term goals for the watershed.
“Current water quality impairments and degradation have raised local concern about its health and future,” a Texas Sea Grant statement on the webinar reads. “An existing local Baffin Bay stakeholder group, consisting of fishermen, landowners, farmers, ranchers, business owners, local government and agencies would like to expand protection efforts.”
“The development of a locally driven plan for voluntarily addressing issues through a unified approach provides an advantage when seeking funding for improvement projects,” the statement reads.
Baffin Bay is a popular destination for outdoor recreation for many in the Valley, and can be accessed in an hour’s drive from Harlingen.
“We look forward to hearing your vision for this unique watershed,” said Morgan Ayers, a natural resources specialist with Texas Sea Grant.
