November 10, 2014 — The Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association lost two of its biggest advocates in Tuesday's elections, the group's director said.
U.S. Reps. Joe Garcia, D-Key West, and Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, were both voted out of office. They were big supporters of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association and helped the group on many fishing issues, Executive Director Bill Kelly said.
Southerland and Garcia were members of the House Committee on Natural Resources, which considers legislation about energy production, mineral lands and mining, and most importantly to the Florida Keys fisheries, wildlife and oceans.
Southerland had been working with the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association on several pieces of legislation, including fish traps to catch lionfish.
Garcia had been working with fishermen to keep areas in Biscayne National Park open to fishing, Kelly said.
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