Thousands of fishermen from around the country came to Washington this week to fight for their livelihood. They say federal policies are making it tough for them to stay in business.
“We will be gone. And the people’s right and access to their natural resources will be gone," James Hull of Ormond Beach, Fla., said. He was one of thousands of fishermen who came to the Capitol Hill rally.
They want Congress to change a law called the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which mandates fishing restrictions with the purpose of protecting stocks. The fishermen say the restrictions are often arbitrary and based on bad science.
The fishermen say Florida is among the hardest hit states. Right now there is a temporary federal ban on catching red snapper off Florida’s East coast. The same goes for grouper. In the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a restriction on grouper fishing and the recreational seasons for red snapper have been getting shorter.