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CLOSING PERMIT TO ALL REC TAKE?
The FWC would like to hear from
YOU about the future of permit fishing in Florida’s State and
federal waters. This is the link to the FWC’s official page:
http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/09/statewide/News_09_X_PermitWkshps.htm
It would be nice to see a strong
turnout Monday and Tuesday night.
After you read this email, check
out the 14 slide general presentation at
http://myfwc.com/docs/CommissionMeetings/2009/2009_Apr_ReviewofFisheryforPermit_presentation_update.pdf
If you can make it, you should
show up at one of the following meetings. I was just made aware
that the FWC is doing a survey of all attendees. The
Commissioners like these survey results. We should make a strong
showing.
The FRA will record Monday
Evening’s meeting for those who were unable to attend the workshop.
You will be able to submit comments through Thanksgiving.
Points to consider and express:
First and foremost, we are good
stewards of our fisheries.
Permit are not in trouble, or are
they even close to being in trouble.
Spawning permit are no less
skittish than non-spawning permit. If one gets disturbed, they all
swim away, fast.
Locations of spawning aggregations
are not appearing to be an issue, as the entire state of Florida had
commercial landings of permit in 2008 of less than 18,000 pounds.
Hardly a problem worth closing fishing down over.
There exists a currently
unexploited ‘loophole’ in fisheries regulations for permit in
federal waters. To prevent any unintended exploitation, we support
a commercial trip limit implementation guided by sound research.
Further, we suggest that the recreational bag limit of pompano or
permit per angler per day, with one over 20” allowed, two max over
20 per vessel, with a minimum FL of 11” be considered off of the
state of Florida in Federal Waters.
We request that the current
prohibition of spearfishing gear being used in the state waters
permit fishery be lifted, as there is no validation of the logic
used to prohibit the gear in the first place.
Since there is no problem with the
stock, we feel that there is no need for any actions that may reduce
recreational fishing activity, given that current levels of catch
appear to be quite sustainable. Any closure is unnecessary,
economically destructive and unacceptable.
We support the FWC’s attempts to
understand and manage our fisheries. We hope, in this case, that
the FWC will realize the need to spend its limited resources on more
pressing concerns.
ALL MEETINGS BEGIN AT 6 PM.
Monday, Oct. 5
FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
3rd Floor Conference Room
100 Eighth Avenue S.E.
St. Petersburg
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Joseph P. D'Alessandro Office Complex
2295 Victoria Ave.
Fort Myers
A
RECORDING OF THE MEETING WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER
6.
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