TITUSVILLE — Commercial fishing interests gathered at a seafood joint Tuesday to cast doubt on federal fisheries data and spell out the ripple effects a red-snapper ban and other fishing closures are having on the local economy.
“What I’ve seen in the past 10 years is the demise of our industry,” said Jim Busse, president of Seafood Atlantic at Port Canaveral, who’s watched longtime friends have to hang up their fishing gear. “I’ve seen them lose their houses. I’ve seen them get their trucks repossessed.”
Laurilee Thompson, owner of Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, hosted the event to talk to business leaders and politicians about the danger of new regulations, which fishermen say aren’t necessary or based on solid scientific proof. She pointed out that the day’s lunch was all locally caught seafood.
“Nothing here is imported,” Thompson said.
“I’ve seen overfishing, I’ve been part of it,” said Thompson, a former commercial angler, “and I can tell you now there’s not even 2 percent of the commercial fishing effort as compared to the late ’70s and ’80s.”
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