Rodney Barreto

When most people hear the words “wildlife conservation,” they picture endangered species, protected lands or scientists working deep in the Everglades. What they may not picture is a family fishing trip on Biscayne Bay. Or the tourism businesses that support hundreds of thousands of South Florida jobs. Yet conservation supports all those things. In Florida, protecting wildlife and natural habitats isn’t separate from protecting our communities—it is one of the ways we do it.

By Rodney Barreto, FWC ChairAugust 10, 2026 Left to right: Executive Director Roger Young, Commissioner Gary Lester, Wildlife Impact Management Section Leader Sarah Funck, Chairman Rodney Barreto, Python Challenge winner Tom Rahill, Commissioner Joshua Kellam and Commissioner Sonya Rood.

Rodney Barreto Recently, the sportfishing and boating community gathered in Orlando for ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, where Florida had an opportunity to spotlight something bigger than any single product, tournament or destination: the future of the waters that define our state. Florida’s identity is inseparable from the water.