COLUMN: Selling snapper on Wall Street? Fishing as we know it is on the hook (with LINKS)

Fishing as we have known it in our lifetimes is going to end unless, just like healthcare, we get going and do something about it soon.

The regulatory agencies that control our fisheries have not been willing so far to accept any scientific research that proves theirs incorrect. They conveniently call it “not best available data.”

The Panama City Boatmen Association has been working with these agencies for 20 years now (I've been a part of it for 3 1/2 years) and the news is only getting worse. 

Dr. Roy Crabtree, executive director of the Southeast Fishery Management Council, has made his point of view very clear.

As we have worked to improve the data collection process to show the huge increases of red snapper in the Gulf and presented research by well-known reputable scientists who are specialists in these fields, Dr. Crabtree stated to me and to others, "I don't care what the data says, you are not going to get any more fish” [via bag limit or season increase]. He has also stated that in his opinion, it is “better for the nation” to have fewer anglers, commercial, for-hire, or private, and let the few who are left turn a better profit. 

We have been very clear that we want to protect our natural resource and have the privilege to stay in business at the same time. We know it can be done, because it was being done in 2000-2006 when we were reduced to a six-month season and a four red snapper bag limit. Please take time to read the research done by Dr. Bob Shipp regarding the status of the fishery and Dr. Frank Hester regarding the questionable accuracy of the SEDAR process which determines the stock assessments

The legislation we are working to get passed is the U.S. House Bill 1584, the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009.  You can read it now, click here.

The amendment that must be added to help the red snapper fishing industry and others throughout the Southeast is:

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reef fish fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic shall not be required to be rebuilt, and overfishing ended, by a specific date provided that the annual level of fishing does not exceed the net reproduction rate for that fishery such that the fishery is rebuilding each year.  If the objective set forth in this section is not met for any of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic reef fish fisheries in one year, the Secretary of Commerce shall adjust the fishing rate in that specific fishery in subsequent years to compensate for any overage.”

A new Obama/NMFS policy is working its way to the Gulf — catch shares.

What does that mean to all the anglers who want to go out fishing for a day now and then?  Your share of the recreational catch may be sold by the government as a commodity to corporations, environmental groups that want to end fishing, and others who are out to make a buck. 

Then, those shares can be sold to outlets such as tackle shops, WalMart, or others so you can buy back your natural resource.

Yep, if the catch-shares policy becomes policy in the Gulf, you will have to decide what fish you plan to catch then go down to the local store and buy fish tags for those reef fish. 

“Let's see, I want to catch and keep two red snapper, one grouper, two triggerfish, and one amberjack, so let me buy a tag for each of those.”

Then, when you catch those fish, if they are checked by the Coast Guard or FWC and they are not tagged, you will be fined. Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun?

Dr. Daniel Bromley's study of the catch shares programs that are in place in other areas of the world can be found here.

Please pardon my sarcasm, but I just cannot believe that our fishery is coming to this.  If you do not believe it, please read the press release attached from the Recreational Fishing Alliance. It spells out the details and repeats most of the info I recently reported to the Panama City Rotary Club.  You can contact the RFA at www.joinrfa.org and click on press releases for the latest information (joining is optional).

Once you have read it, please help us save our natural resource from being sold on Wall Street!  Anglers across the Gulf and on the South Atlantic need to know what is about to happen to their rights to fish.

The following people need to hear from you: our federal and state legislators; Ms. Monica Medina, Special Advisor to the Under Secretary, NOAA, 1404 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20230; and Dr. Bob Shipp, Chairman, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. Lois Ave., Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607. 

Right now, we desperately need your help in getting the laws changed.

I just felt you probably did not know about these issues because a lot of it is going on by way of nationwide conference calls that include only a select few, including officials from Washington, D.C. 

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or if you want to send comments to me about this issue — for or against. We want these laws that are coming to us to be fair and equitable to all concerned. 

Pam Anderson is Operations Manager at Capt. Anderson Marina in Panama City Beach. Contact Pam on Facebook at Capt. Anderson Marina or contact her directly at the marina, 850-234-3435.