We need to make our opinion known:
Mister Nick Wiley, Executive Director, FWC:
Dear sir, It's time for our FWC to represent the best interest of the State of Florida.
Un-supported, over-zealous, regulations has succeeded in bringing Florida's entire fishing community to a halt. Florida depends on tourist dollars. The NOAA, not known for using science in its rule-making processes, has decreed that non-commercial fishermen (private individuals who plan on personally eating their catch) may only keep gag grouper caught in the Gulf of Mexico from July 1 through Oct. 31 when they fish nine miles or more offshore. Florida wants to adopt the same rules in state waters, fewer than nine miles offshore. (Tallahassee Democrat) What this amounts to is that when gag migrate to State waters, they would be completely off limits to the recreational fisherman, including, spend my money in Florida, tourist. This, combined with a very short Summer only American red snapper season, means our tourist trade will spend their millions of dollars in places where they can actually catch & keep fresh fish, really fresh fish. Most, "fresh fish" in our markets are at least 10-12 days old. Just think what adds such as:
"FLORIDA home of really fresh fish...you catch, you eat, the same day," could mean to our tourist trade. Do we really want our, or what should be our, tourist dollars spent in places like Texas?
Texas state waters (extending 9 miles) has a year round ARS open season and a 4 per person bag limit. This flies directly in the face of Florida who was forced by amendment 30(b) to comply with federal regulations. Because of this, Texas is able to harvest a much larger percentage of the total ARS as compared to Florida. This is a major contributing factor to the shorter than average recreational season despite an increase in the TAC. This, along with a very extended Texas gag season is also, "A major contributing factor" in the loss of Florida's billion dollar tourist trade.
It's time for our FWC to represent the best interest of the State of Florida, We, the peoples of Florida are, or should be, more important than the cash flow from NOAA!
Bob Harbison Native recreational Florida fisherman & hunter
Mister Wiley:
