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CCA
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has voted unanimously to oppose the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposal which would prohibit recreational fishing for all Gulf grouper for three months. Instead, the Commissioners at their June meeting recommended reducing the red grouper bag limit from two to one per day. “We greatly appreciate the Florida Commission’s action,” said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director. “Their recommendation responsibly addresses any problem which may exist. We are urging the feds to abandon their proposal and support the FWC recommendation.”
In addition to the FWC’s action, nine members of The June 17 Congressional delegation letter states, “To place a three month moratorium on recreational grouper fishing would place an undue hardship on the many men and women who earn a living in this industry and would not be a feasible long-term solution to ensuring that the red grouper population is protected.”
The additional members of According to CCA Florida, the federal proposal against recreational anglers is caused by a bizarre and unprecedented increase in the “estimated” recreational catch of red grouper in 2004. The validity of the 2004 recreational landings is being questioned because NMFS claims that estimated recreational landings of Gulf red grouper increased from 1.536 million lbs. in 2003 to 3.530 million lbs. in 2004, a whopping 130 percent increase! Such an increase is unprecedented in the history of red grouper landings since regulations began 14 years ago. No such increase has ever occurred since 1990. There have been dramatic reductions caused by new regulations but never such an increase. The estimates become even more suspect when you consider that Florida anglers and fishing activity was impacted by a record four major hurricanes in 2004. “The early recreational catch numbers for the first four months of this year are down dramatically and more in line with the catches of 2001 through 2003,” said Forsgren. “That fact makes the 2004 estimates even more questionable.” CCA Florida indicated that commercial longlines have been the longstanding and major problem in the red grouper fishery. Commercial fishers land more than 80 percent of the total red grouper take and longliners take 60-70 percent of the commercial landings. In 2001, the FWC voted unanimously to prohibit commercial grouper longlining out to 50 fathoms; however, NMFS did not take action on the recommendation. “The draconian federal proposal is being pushed on the recreational sector in order to fit a plan which favors and sustains the commercial longline fleet,” said CCA’s Forsgren. “The federal management scheme allocates more red grouper to just 25 longline boats than the total amount allocated to millions of recreational anglers.” “30” |
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