More than 100 fishermen showed up at US 98 and Perry Ave to ptotest closing of amberjack fishing by NMFS. they picked that corner because that is where panhandlers congregate. they felt they would all be out of business and homeless if NMFS continues to close fisheries.
Many say that business is the worst it's been in years.
The fishermen are planning a flotilla “Rally for Recreational Anglers” this Saturday in Destin harbor beginning at 10 a.m., also in protest.
Tosha Sketo
Brandishing signs that read “Amend the Mugnuson-Stevens Act” and “Save a fisherman, uproot a Crabtree,” about 90 boats formed a “symbolic blockade” of East Pass in Destin on Saturday.
The flotilla was organized by the Destin Charter Boat Association, and about 70 charter boats came out to protest the closings of the red snapper and amberjack seasons.
In total, about 300 boats rallied for fishermen on Saturday, as flotillas also took place in Panama City, Orange Beach, Mexico Beach and Carrabelle Beach, according to Mayor Craig Barker, who watched the Destin flotilla from atop the Marler Bridge.
On the water, “No fish counts, no closures” could be heard from the decks of the Checkmate with Captain George Eller. And “We vote, we fish” was shouted by several captains and crews amid the honking of boat horns.
“If things continue to go the way they’re going, the fishing industry will be crippled, which in turn will cripple the economy in Destin,” Eller said. “What’s good for the fishing fleet is good for Destin.”
Destin city councilor Sam Seevers and Shane Moody from the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce recognized that fact, holding up signs reading “The city of Destin supports our fisherman” from the deck of the Life’s a Beach. According to Mayor Barker, the fleet’s operations inject more than $175 million in direct spending into Destin’s economy.
“Everyone from the city supports our fishermen, as they should,” Seevers said. “Fishing is a tremendous part of our history and heritage, and it’s unfortunate that the National Marine Fisheries did this during our Rodeo.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service announced the closing of the red snapper season on Aug. 15 and the amberjack season closed Oct. 24, based on surveys. Both closures impacted the 61st Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo.
The National Marine Fisheries Service implemented the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey in coastal states in 1979 to establish a database to estimate the impact of recreational fishing on marine resources. The results of the survey are used by federal and state agencies to formulate fishery management plans, evaluate future demands on fish stocks and predict and evaluate the impact of fishery regulations.
The survey estimates the total number of fish caught, released and harvested; the weight of the harvest; the total number of angler trips and the number of people participating in marine recreational fishing.
But fisherman and Mayor Barker said that the survey is flawed, and the National Marine Fisheries Service must complete a total stock assessment to get accurate counts. According to Barker, the last total stock assessment was done in 1991.
After the flotilla and the Silver Jubilee Fish Fry held in honor of Destin’s 25th anniversary, a rally was held behind Fisherman’s Wharf. Captain Mike Eller of the Lady Em, co-president of the Destin Charter Boat Association, Baker and Capt. Mike Graef of the Huntress, among others, spoke about needing flexibility in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and an accurate count.
“One of the first things we need to work on is funding Marine Fisheries so we can get a third party, independent data collection,” Mike Eller said at the rally.
“If they buy me a submarine, I’ll go and count everything out there,” Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves said at the rally.
According to Capt. Ken Bolden on the Just-B-Cause, one of the problems with the Marine Fisheries’ methods is that the limits are in millions of pounds. He said the combination of the minimum-pound limits on snapper and amberjack and the fact that their populations are maturing means that fishermen are catching larger fish and fisheries are meeting their pound limits sooner.
“Two fish is two fish whether they weigh one pound or twenty,” Capt. Greg Marler of the Gentle Winds said at the rally. “The poundage thing is not right.”
All the charter boat captains the Log spoke to echoed the sentiments of speakers at the rally, saying that the populations of red snapper and amberjack are larger than they’ve been in years.
“If we went two million over the limit in 74 days, there must be a lot of them out there,” Graef said.
Marler said that the closings this year led to a 60 percent loss for his business. And Bolden said he had lost about 25 percent this year, but he said he was lucky compared to some who have had to shut down their charter boat operations.
“I’m a Destin fisherman from long ago masquerading as a city councilman, and I can tell you that there is a lot of support out there for our fishermen,” Destin City Councilor Kelly Windes said at the rally. “We can survive this.”
“We have to keep the momentum rolling,” said George Eller. “This is a good step. It’s more than just a baby step. We need to do whatever it takes to right the wrongs.”
I expect to see more and more closures as this administrations appointees were hand picked by the pew foundation. Lobchenko(or how ever yoiu spell it) probably has a pew foundation Tatoo on her ass as a stamp of approval from them.
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