Duke Energy Florida’s Redfish Released Into Crystal River Waters Alongside Citrus County, CCA Florida; Anglers Encouraged To Catch Them For Cash Prizes

This weekend, Duke Energy Florida joined Citrus County and Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Florida to release 100 redfish at the Pirates Cove Park in Crystal River. The fish were hatched and raised at Duke Energy Florida’s Crystal River Mariculture Center, where more than 5.3 million fish and crustaceans have been cultivated and released since 1991. These efforts help restock declining populations, improve water quality and strengthen ecosystem resilience, while also supporting tourism.  

Our view:

“When people think of Duke Energy Florida, they probably don’t think of a multispecies hatchery dedicated to restoring and preserving Florida’s precious ecosystem. But the Mariculture Center represents a key pillar of our work: caring for the communities we serve and making the state a better place for our family, friends and neighbors to live for generations to come,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We appreciate our partnership with CCA Florida and collaboration with Citrus County leadership, which were instrumental to this fish release, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact our efforts will have in the area.”

Let the games begin:

Unique to this release, the fish were all “adopted” by local businesses, and each one carries a tag associated with a cash prize from the sponsor. When caught, anglers are encouraged to photograph the fish, report the tag number and release it back into the water to claim their reward. This concept – the brainchild of Eric Latimer, manager of the Mariculture Center – is intended to generate excitement among local residents and visitors alike, further positioning Citrus County as a premier destination for fishing and outdoor recreation.

What they’re saying:

• State Representative J.J. Grow: “This project highlights what strategic public-private collaboration can accomplish for Florida’s communities. I have no doubt that it will go a long way toward strengthening Citrus County’s natural resources and our local economy. Thank you to all involved.”
   
• Citrus County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard: “This is a creative way to bring our community, local businesses and outdoor recreation together. We’re not only enhancing our fishery, but we’re also creating an experience that will draw anglers to Citrus County and support our local economy. It’s a win for conservation, a win for business and a win for our residents.”
   
• CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski: “CCA Florida is proud to be a part of this release and strengthen the long-term health of the state’s redfish population, while creating a fun, hands-on opportunity for local businesses to get involved in conservation. We’re grateful to our valued partner, Duke Energy, and Citrus County for making this such a success.”  

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. 

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.