PANAMA CITY, Fla., — April 3, 2014 — The Bay County Chamber of Commerce is among several groups fearing a federal court’s decision could lead to tanking the 2014 and 2015 red snapper fishing season in federal waters.
Though some fishermen and associated businesses hailed the U.S. District Court’s decision in March that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) violated the law by failing to properly manage the Gulf’s red snapper fishery, officials at the Bay Chamber released statements Thursday claiming the ruling left open the possibility to “close the red snapper fishing season for 2014 and possibly for 2015 in federal waters.”
Chamber officials said if that measure is used to correct overfishing, the state’s economy could be at risk.
“Red snapper fishing affects the state’s tourism industry,” Bay Chamber President Carol Roberts said Thursday. “If they (tourists) can’t come and catch red snapper, it would adversely affect our economy.”
Recreational angling in Florida is a $5 billion industry with more than 3 million participants, 39 percent of whom come from out of state. Anglers spent $9.8 billion in 2011, and, including multiplier effects, those purchases resulted in more than $9.3 billion in sales, $3.1 billion in income and supported 89,319 jobs, according to Bay Chamber documents.