Fighting for 

YOUR FISHING RIGHTS and

THE FUTURE OF RECREATIONAL FISHING

Obtain press credentials for the FISHING MATTERS TO ME event: email us at inquiry@theFRA.org.

We will contact you with details on when, where and how to obtain your credentials, as well as locations of the special media areas.

Click here for the eFRA Objection in pdf

CLICK HERE TO EMAIL US

or

CALL US AT 727.692.6902

or

SNAIL MAIL US AT

Fishing Rights Alliance, Inc.

4604 49TH STREET NORTH, #34

ST. PETERSBURG, FL  33709

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Dennis O’Hern

Executive Director

Fishing Rights Alliance

dohern@tampabay.rr.com

727-692-6902

www.thefra.org

FRA files objection to Florida gag fishing closure

St. Petersburg, Florida, June 6, 2011 - The St. Petersburg, FL based Fishing Rights Alliance (FRA) today filed an objection to the pending closure of recreational gag grouper fishing in state waters by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)   The FRA is encouraging the FWC to follow normal rulemaking procedures for closing a recreational fishery for ten months per year. 

The Florida law being used to fast-track the state waters closure of gag grouper allows that an objection to the rule would result in the rule being rejected, requiring instead that the full ‘due process’ of rulemaking, including two sets of public hearings, take place.

The FWC closure is in response to pressure from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which  has closed gag grouper in federal Gulf waters since January 1, 2011, under a series of ‘emergency’ or ‘interim’ rules.  In the past, the FWC would only amend its rules to conform to federal rules if the federal action was permanent.  This is the first interim rule the FWC has followed, citing NMFS threat of holding back a portion of the allowable gag catch for commercial fishermen if Florida failed to comply with NMFS demands.

Gag grouper is a very important fish to Florida anglers.  96% of all Gulf gag grouper are landed in Florida.  Pinellas County is grouper central and relies on the pursuit of gag grouper by recreational anglers to generate significant economic activity.  Recreational grouper fishing in Florida is estimated to annually generate 3 billion dollars in economic activity and 5000 jobs. 

Anglers are overwhelmingly reporting abundant gag grouper in various sizes, contradicting the six year old stock assessment being used as the basis for the closure.  A similar situation occurred in 2005, with the government science contradicting the anglers’ observations regarding red grouper.  Following a successful lawsuit, a new stock assessment confirmed what anglers had claimed and NMFS had denied:  that red grouper were, in fact, abundant and healthy.

“Using fatally flawed data and outdated science, the National Marine Fisheries Service and its Gulf Council are unnecessarily costing Florida jobs, economic activity and the right of its citizens to fish”, according to Dennis O’Hern, Executive Director of the FRA.

The FRA is a fishing conservation and advocacy group consisting of thousands of members throughout all US coastal states. 

A copy of the objection can be found at www.thefra.org/fwc2.htm .

Contact Dennis O’Hern

Executive Director

Fishing Rights Alliance

dohern@tampabay.rr.com

727-692-6902

www.thefra.org

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Press release for FISHING MATTERS TO ME IN PDF and printed below

PSA     PSA    PSA    PSA    PSA   PSA  PSA  PSA

St. Petersburg, FL February 21, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Dennis O'Hern, Executive Director, Fishing Rights Alliance (727) 692-6902

FISHERMEN RALLY AGAINST GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES

Thousands of commercial and recreational fishermen are headed to St. Petersburg, FL, the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the National Marine Fisheries Service, for the first ever "Fishing Matters to Me" rally which kicks off at 9 am on Friday, February 25, 2011.

Conservative estimates put the number of licensed saltwater fishermen who live, work and fish within 100 miles of the rally at more than 1 million.

"We have people coming from all over the East Coast, including Massachusetts and North Carolina, and as far west as Texas and California," said organizer Dennis O'Hern. "This is going to be the Woodstock of fishing rallies and people will be talking about it for years to come."

The recent 'emergency' closure of the Gulf of Mexico's grouper fishery has prompted the fishermen to take to the street in protest and demand that congress take action to protect them from unnecessary regulations.

"People's livelihoods are being ruined by the government’s reliance on flawed data and outdated science," O'Hern said.  "These are real people with families to feed, not just numbers on spreadsheets."

The grouper shutdown, and a similar measure governing red snapper in the South Atlantic, will cost the fragile economies of the Southeast an estimated $5 billion per year in lost revenue.  Recreational anglers and commercial fisherman, two groups once at odds over the same stocks, have come together and found common ground to ask for fundamental changes to the draconian system that manages the nation's fisheries.

"Recreational saltwater fishing is worth $32 billion to Florida's economy." O'Hern said.  "On the average year, more than 6 million residents and visitors fish Florida waters and support more than 100,000 jobs."  Details of the rally can be found at www.theFRA.org.

Stop by 310 13th Avenue, South, St. Petersburg, FL and see democracy in action.

Contact:
 
Dennis O'Hern
Executive Director
Fishing Rights Alliance, Inc.
4604 49th Street N  #34

St. Petersburg, FL  33709

727.692.6902

dohern@tampabay.rr.com

www.thefra.org

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