WFS 395 – Costa Del Mar Conservation with Joe Gugino – Kick Plastic, Planet Purpose Solutions
Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/395
Presented By: Zoe Angling Group, Yellowstone Teton, Drifthook, Range Meal Bars
Sponsors: wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Joe Gugino of Costa Del Mar takes us into the conservation work they’ve been focusing on to protect the species we love.
We find out where Joe’s passion for striped bass comes from, what the American Saltwater Guides Association has going on right now, and how Planet Purpose Solutions is helping Costa fulfill their vision in conservation.
Taking the glare off the water and the big conservation issues today.
Costa Del Mar Conservation Show Notes with Joe Gugino
3:44 – Joe talks about how he got into fly fishing when he was still in Connecticut where he and his brothers grew up. He started on saltwater and striped bass which has been his number one species.
6:01 – He talks about the fluctuating population of striped bass over the years and the work they do in Costa Del Mar to address that problem.
8:47 – We go into detail about what he does in Costa as the Conservation and Community Partnerships Manager.
11:09 – We dig into their products including my favorite the C-Mates Readers. He recommends their copper base lenses. In episode 272 with Evan Russell from Costa, we talked about how to choose polarized sunglasses for fishing.
14:09 – He shares Costa’s plans and upcoming conservation programs for both salt and freshwater.
15:54 – We talk about episode 390 with Darren Calhoun. He also shares his experience when his team and their partners went to the Wind River Reservation this summer and what he loved about the area.
19:45 – He shares more about the Protect Report that they will release in time for their 40th anniversary next year. He also tells how Planet Purpose Solutions is helping them with their conservation programs.
21:40 – He mentions the Kick Plastic movement.
23:27 – We dig into how Costa’s focus on conservation started.
26:43 – He takes us back to when he was first contacted by Costa when he started a fishing company.
30:34 – He talks about their activity of tagging marlins and stripers with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to see where these groups of fish are going and how they can protect them.
34:25 He describes Magdalena Bay and tells about their plan to go there with the Costa team, Costa pros, Indifly, and scientists from the Billfish Foundation and IGFA.
40:07 – He explains the importance of community involvement in conservation to create a positive impact on the environment.
41:14 – He tells where people can access their Protect Report. He also reveals the new sustainability hub on the Costa Del Mar website which is sort of a condensed version of the Protect Report.
42:21 – We dig into plastic pollution and their efforts to address this. He mentions the experts whom they are working with for this cause which are Planet Purpose Solutions and 5 Gyres Institute.
45:13 – He talks about their successful work with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) which was the Project Permit and the short film called A Pathway for Permit. It tells the story of their collaborative efforts to conserve and protect the Florida Key’s permit fishery.
47:34 – We talk about football and the team he is supporting.
Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/395
