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Nancy Smith

Gulf Charter Boat Captains Plead for Gov. Scott to Intervene over Red Snapper

October 19, 2014 - 6:00pm

Some 150 charter boat and hospitality businesses operating along the Gulf of Mexico have sent Gov. Rick Scott a letter asking him to help "save us from a bad Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) decision."

In their letter sent last Thursday, the business men and women of the Charter Fisherman's Association, explain that the governor-appointed FWC has publicly indicated it will vote against a fishing management measure known as Amendment 40, which would allow the charter industry the same opportunity to fish for red snapper as recreational anglers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service predicts immediate passage of Amendment 40 would allow tourists 30 days in 2015 to access the red snapper fishery on federally permitted charter boats. But it must be passed at this week'sGulf of Mexico FisheryManagement Council meeting in Mobile, Ala. Otherwise, the next opportunity for a vote on the amendment would be at the January 2015 meeting, too late for the current tourist season.

To continue the practice of favoring recreational anglers now in place would cause further economic harm to charter boat fishing and related Gulf of Mexico tourism businesses, charter boat captains say.

Commonly referred to as sector separation, Amendment 40 would create two recreational fishing subsectors -- the private boat-owning public and the federally permitted charter fleet. Capt. Mike Colby, vice president of the Charter Fisherman's Association (Florida) and president of the Clearwater Marine Association, said the idea is to reset and restore the decreased access charter operators have "to serve millions of tourists who come to Florida each year to fish and spend millions of dollars in the process."

Separate but equal, he said.

"We know and appreciate how much Gov. Scott cares about promoting tourism and keeping jobs in Florida," says Colby. "Why would tourists who come to fish in Florida want to keep coming when we allow them so little time to fish for the species they want?

"Gov. Scott has often stated that every 85 tourists create one Florida job. The charterfishing industry has been both a loyal supporter and contributor to that effort."

In an interview with Sunshine State News during the weekend, Colby explained, "Amendment 40 would level the regulatory playing field on access to the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, private boat anglers get 54 days to pursue red snapper, but visiting anglers who depend on federally permitted charter boats get only nine days."

This all started in 2012, when the FWC started allowing longer red snapper seasons in state territorial waters compared to federal waters. The commission was aware that fish caught in state waters over those additional days could only be taken by anglers on private boats because of a restriction on federal charter boat permits. That restriction limits their fishing opportunities to only the times when federal waters are open.

Richard Corbett, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has acknowledged in a letter to Colby that current rules aren't fair, but he has said he sees no overwhelming call to change them.

"Personally," said Colby, "I think the chairman just thinks this is a 'fish grab,' that we want to hog the snapper catch. And I think he's being overwhelmed by recreational industry leaders and fishing alliances to stay with the status quo."

Said Colby, "The things to remember here are, Amendment 40 just closes a state-mandated loophole for one species of fish -- the red snapper. And the private angler now gets 50 days to fish for them, while tourists are looking at a five-day season."

In the letter to Scott (see letter in the attachment below), charter captains said the governor should support Floridas charter fleet because they are what he's all about -- business men and women creating a good climate for tourism and jobs in Florida. They told him they have faith in him.

Wed like Gov. Scott to impress on his appointees to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission that they are playing with fire and should reconsider blocking passage of Amendment 40, Colby said. Threatening the jobs and livelihoods of captains, hoteliers and restaurateurs, as well as endangering the viability of our coastal communities is bad business."

Amendment 40 would allow the charter fleet to service tourists when theyre actually visiting here. And this helps in turn to preserve local tourism expenditures, Colby said.

A 2014 Haas Center Study, commissioned by the City of Destin, found that more than 300,000 out-of-region tourists visiting that city alone added $90 a day to the local economy each year. Of those 300,000 tourists, 44 percent cited fishing as their sole reason for visiting Florida.

According to Visit Florida, 94.7 million tourists visited the state in 2013. Said Colby, "And the loss of any who fish will have consequences."

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith

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