Statement of November 16, 2009

This statement is in response to misrepresentations of the Gulf Coast’s Commercial fisheries coming from a few Recreational fishing groups recently, particularly those of the Coastal Conservation Association. We're proud to provide factual information on the issues, supported by scientific data, so that those with an interest in Gulf Coast fisheries can ultimately collaborate from fair and informed positions.

August 16, 2009
Bill Nelson: We can protect turtles and fishermen

Bill Nelson
My View
One of the things I've tried to do in the U.S Senate is to protect Florida's marine resources, upon which many livelihoods depend. Protecting Florida jobs, while conserving native wildlife and protecting our shoreline from the ravages of oil and gas development, are critical to the long-term economic and sustainable future of our state.
Nowhere is this more evident than in our coastal communities that depend not only on tourism but also on commercial and recreational fishing.
In May of this year, our Florida commercial longline fishermen along the entire Gulf Coast were informed by the federal government that they could not go fishing — for at least five months and possibly longer — for fresh grouper prized by restaurants and fish markets across the state. That was because baited fishing hooks used by grouper fishermen have been observed to attract, hook and sometimes harm or kill loggerhead sea turtles.
This situation is difficult for two reasons.

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/pdfs/2008RedSnapperIFQAnnualReport1.pdf

Please take time to review the 2008 Red Snapper IFQ Annual Report as recenty published by NOAA.  The Shareholders' Alliance will be releasing a statement on the findings in this report shortly.

Quotas help fishermen maintain livelihoods
By BILL TUCKER
Special To The Tampa Tribune
Published: July 12, 2009

For the past decade, Florida commercial fishermen have found it more and more difficult to make a living due to increased regulations such as shortened seasons that promote waste and dangerous races to catch fish, increasing costs due to trip limits and fuel expenses and competition from cheaper imports. And if you've read the local news lately, you know that longline fishermen, who catch much of the state's grouper, are facing additional regulations and closures because their gear interacts with sea turtles.
So recently, when regulators drastically cut the amount of grouper that fishermen could catch in 2010, it upset a lot of the industry.

National Fisherman writer Hoyt Childers got it right (April issue) when he said “…one could conclude that it’s high time to place one’s remaining chips on IFQs.” in the Gulf of Mexico.  There are good reasons for this.  Whether we like it or not, the old days of unlimited fishing are gone.  Growing demand for fish and high-tech gear means that we can catch more than stocks can support under open access management.  We can’t survive with traditional regulations like short seasons and small trip limits that just force us to waste fish and loose profitability. 

Commercial Red Snapper landing under IFQ system in Destin Fl. 15 hour trip for NBC earth week 2009.