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February 24, 2010

Sabine gets second flounder stocking

Chester Moore, Jr The Port Arthur News

 Last May officials from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) Sea Center Texas (SCT) conducted their first ever stocking of southern flounder in Old River Bayou on the extreme northern tip of Sabine Lake.

    Last week they returned to the same location and stocked 6,300 flounder, a nine-fold increase, showing a huge jump in the viability of TPWD’s fledgling flounder enhancement program.

    “We’re proud to be able to come back and stock Sabine Lake and to be able to bring so many more fish than last year. We’re going to put a lot more focus on flounder stocking and hope to be able to make another big leap in numbers next year,” said SCT hatchery director David Abrego.

    A little smaller in size than the flounder stocked in 2009, some of the fish were still in the translucent stage while others had already turned into miniature versions of adults.

    By stocking these tiny flounder into key estuaries like that at Old River Bayou, TPWD is giving them a major kick-start at life. In the wild, flounder are born in the Gulf of Mexico and must pass through many miles of potential predators before reaching the safety of cover in our marshes.

    “These fish dispersed quickly, headed toward some of the vegetation along the shoreline and showed they are masters of camouflage. They did exactly what flounder are supposed to do,” said SCT’s Courtney Moore who spearheaded the stocking.

    The Galveston Bay area got its first-ever stocking last week with 3,500 or so fish stocked into a marsh near Jamaica Beach.  There are plans for the Corpus Christi hatchery to get into flounder enhancement and great hope for the future of the fishery.

    “It’s a good time to be a flounder angler,” Abrego said.

    “A lot of things we have been working on and hoping for a long are coming true. We’re proud to be able to use our state of the art hatcheries to aid this important fishery.”

    Many local anglers have contributed to the broodstock that produced these fish over the years. In the not so distant future the flounder you catch, might be one you were partially responsible for producing.

    It goes to show thinking with conservation first with an eye on the future pays off.  The flounder comeback is far from complete but now it is closer than ever before.

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The Central Middle School Band capped off a successful year by competing in the Solo and Ensemble Contest on May 5th. Forty-eight students brought home 66 medals.  Band members who won honors are: Danny Abdullah, Syrina Akbari, Abigail Albright, Max Barclay, Joel Bardwell, Jordan Bardwell, Brandon Baumgardner, Anthony Bennett, James Brindza, Cullen Cessna, Vanessa Daigle, Collin Elliott ,Dyan Emerson, Cyle Hubbard, Colin Jackson, Jennifer Jones, Jordan Jones, Jase Keel, Jessica Koons, Marissa Licatino, Todd Luke, Kade McCorvy, Jordan Mitchell, Kelby Myers, Mason Ouzts, Sara Pierce, Kayla Prestridge, Daniela Rodriguez, Noah Ross, Shae Sanders, Chandler Smith, Brian Speight, Erin Stilley, Arriana Torres and Tommy Truong Central's Band Directors are Joe Vargas and Michelle Melancon. On May 15th, the Band will hold its final performances of the year. They will play in Central's auditorium at 9 AM. Later that evening, they will be part of the Nederland ISD Band Pageant at the Performing Arts Center.  

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