LETTER: Don't let fishing fleet founder

Those who think a couple of condos and some restaurants are the only ones that benefit from the local fishing industry really need to check their facts.

The fishermen who went to Washington, D.C., were from all over the country and went to try to save an industry that has been hit hard by government regulations. These fishermen simply want the powers that be to take a realistic stock assessment of the species of fish that are being regulated. The formulas the government uses to estimate the total number of pounds of fish caught are also suspect and need to be revised.

If the local fishing industry fails, the effects will be far-reaching. There are a lot of people between the boat builder and the person at the seafood market buying a slab of grouper for dinner.

If you visit the Destin History & Fishing Museum, you will have a better idea of what fishing means to our local and national economies.

— JOHN BRASHEARS
Fort Walton Beach