August 11, 2020 — Commercial spiny lobster season officially started Friday under the less than optimal conditions and this season could be make or break for some fishermen in that fishery.
The Keys are the epicenter of the the country’s spiny lobster fishery, and it is the most lucrative commercial fishery in the Keys, generating for than $35 million a year directly to the local economy.
August 10, 2020 — The coronavirus has meant fewer people fishing and fewer divers spearing the invasive lionfish, which has led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to extend its annual Lionfish Challenge.
Lionfish are a nonnative invasive species that have a potential negative impact on Florida’s native wildlife and habitat, according to the FWC.
The goal of the challenge is to encourage and reward recreational and commercial divers to remove lionfish from Florida waters, according to information provided by FWC. Winners in several categories were to be announced at the sixth annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day, but the 2020 event has been canceled; the next event is now scheduled for May 15-16, 2021.
As a result, the Lionfish Challenge was been extended, with participants now having until Nov. 1 to submit their lionfish.
July 27, 2020 — Go for a dive anywhere in the tropical Atlantic and chances are you may see a fierce looking white and red striped fish with a “mane” of spikes running down its spine. Beautiful and ferocious, invasive lionfish have plagued the Caribbean and parts of the Atlantic for over 30 years now. Originally a native of the Indian Ocean, lionfish are carnivorous creatures with a voracious appetite. In the time since their arrival in the American tropics, they have eaten through small native fish species and multiplied exponentially, reducing native reef fish recruitment up to 79% and establishing themselves as the king of the reef. However, not all hope is lost — it turns out they are quite tasty!
Supported by NOAA’s “Eat Lionfish” campaign, divers, scientists and fisherman across the Caribbean and south-eastern U.S. Coast have started hunting lionfish to mitigate their harm to reef communities. In fact, many organizations have come together to support and improve the reef ecosystem by advocating for lionfish consumption. Free public access to scientific research on the ecological impacts and nutritional content of the fish, how-to methodology on how to properly catch and deal with the invaders and even recipes for cooking them have become readily available online to educate and encourage everyone involved in the sea-to-fork cycle: divers, fisherman, wholesalers, chefs and diners.
July 27, 2020 — This week, the Florida congressional delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue to include Florida’s commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Donald Trump on June 24.
The program addresses harm to the United States lobster industry caused by steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government.
Besides Rubio, other signers of the letter included U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and U.S. Reps. Dan Webster, R-Fla., Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., Donna Shalala, D-Fla., Brian Mast, R-Fla., Francis Rooney, R-Fla., Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., Neal Dunn, R-Fla., Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Bill Posey, R-Fla., Darren Soto, D-Fla., Ross Spano, R-Fla., and Al Lawson, D-Fla.
July 24, 2020 — Poor production, lingering effects from previous hurricanes, and the COVID-19 pandemic knocked Florida spiny lobster fishermen down, but not out during the 2019-20 harvest season. Many are gearing up and looking forward to August’s opening.
“All my fishermen are getting ready. We expect a normal year,” said Gary Graves, operator of Keys Fisheries in Marathon. “My fear this year is storms. The water temperature is so hot.” The Florida Keys stayed out of harm’s way during last year’s hurricane season, but Graves said lobster production was down about 35 percent, possibly because of lower production in the Caribbean basin, where most of Florida’s crustaceans are spawned.
July 23, 2020 — A boat traveling southwest from Sarasota into the Gulf of Mexico for a little over two hours will reach a spot where the ocean is 130 feet deep and the sandy sea floor holds no corals, seagrass or shipwrecks.
For almost three years it’s been the proposed site for anchoring a submerged mesh cage — one about the size of 20 backyard swimming pools — to raise a fast-growing native fish called the almaco jack. A company’s small pilot project aims to show how offshore fish farming can be done responsibly with minimal environmental impacts to produce sustainable seafood. Opponents are deeply concerned that, if permitted, the project would lead to larger fish farms that spark algae blooms and compete with regional fishers.
A Trump administration executive order introduced in May could now accelerate the launch of offshore fish farms as part of its mission to boost domestic seafood production. The order calls for investigating two U.S. locations to start up commercial aquaculture, the farming of aquatic animals and plants. Florida representatives, including U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nicole Fried, have asked for Florida’s federal waters, defined as three to 200 nautical miles from shore, to be one of those locations.
Fish farm proponents point to a growing population with growing demands for seafood that can’t be met by wild-caught fish. Over 80% of seafood eaten in the U.S. is imported, though some of that includes U.S. seafood processed elsewhere then imported back to the U.S.
“We’re essentially exporting our ecological footprint,” said Neil Sims, CEO of Ocean Era, the company applying to raise captive fish in the Gulf. “We need to figure out how to grow these fish ourselves in U.S. waters where we can have control over the environmental standards and the food safety standards.”
July 23, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL):
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) led members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to include Florida’s commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Trump on June 24, 2020. The program addresses harm to the United States lobster industry caused by steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. More information can be found here.
“This belligerent economic behavior by the Chinese government has the potential to significantly reduce the market share of Florida’s spiny lobster in the Asian marketplace, and could have a ripple affect across our state’s economy,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are concerned about the long-term future of Florida’s spiny lobster fishery and the ability of our fishermen to earn a living.”
Rubio was joined by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Francis Rooney (R-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Ross Spano (R-FL), and Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL).
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Secretary Perdue:
We write to request the inclusion of Florida commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Trump on June 24, 2020, in response to the difficulties facing the United States lobster industry due to tariff action by the Chinese government.
Florida’s vibrant lobster fishery has suffered harm by the tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. Spiny lobster is the state’s second largest commercial fishery with an average annual catch of seven million pounds and a total value of more than $45 million. Spiny lobster is renowned for its quality and freshness and is immensely popular in China during holidays and other special events. An estimated 80 percent of all spiny lobster harvested in Florida is exported to China and other Asian ports as a live product. Tariffs placed on spiny lobster by the Chinese government have greatly increased the price of Florida’s spiny lobster exports. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is reducing or eliminating tariffs on competing products from other countries and have begun importing greater numbers of spiny lobster from Australia, Brazil, and the Caribbean.
This belligerent economic behavior by the Chinese government has the potential to significantly reduce the market share of Florida’s spiny lobster in the Asian marketplace, and could have a ripple affect across our state’s economy. We are concerned about the long-term future of Florida’s spiny lobster fishery and the ability of our fishermen to earn a living.
Florida’s fishermen have been harmed by the tariffs imposed on lobster from the United States. As such, we respectfully request their inclusion in the relief program.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
July 23, 2020 — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reeled in a compromise after dramatic changes it proposed to stone crabbing made the industry snap.
After originally threatening to shorten the stone crab season by five weeks, the commission conceded to complaints in a virtually held meeting on Wednesday and shortened the season by only two weeks, with a new end date of May 1. The new rules go into effect Oct. 1.
The commission finalized its rules after hosting a series of virtual workshops since June with industry stakeholders, who widely criticized the agency’s original proposals.
On Wednesday, commissioners acknowledged that the new rules – even with a May 1 end of season – would succeed in keeping more than 300,000 pounds of stone crabs from being harvested, which should surpass the agency’s goal of saving 1 million pounds of stone crabs from harvest over a five-year period.
The compromise will allow stone crabbers to enjoy the economic benefit of Easter and Mother’s Day sales, said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association.
July 14, 2020 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
Fishermen heading offshore this Friday to take advantage of the last day of the recreational Red Snapper opening in the South Atlantic are reminded that new regulations requiring descending devices be on board and changes to hook requirements become effectiveJuly 15, 2020 in federal waters.
Descending Device Requirements
The new requirements are designed to help improve the chances that released fish survive by encouraging the use of descending devices when needed and modifying current hook requirements. Beginning July 15th, a descending device must be on board and readily available for use (attached to a minimum of 60-feet of line with at least 16 ounces of weight) when targeting snapper grouper species. The descending device can help reduce the effects of barotrauma, a condition that occurs when a fish is rapidly reeled up from depth. Signs include protrusion of the stomach from the fish’s mouth, bulging eyes, prolapse, and bubbling scales. A descending device can quickly be used to send the fish back to depth, improving its chances of survival.
Hook Modifications
Changes to hook requirements are also being implemented. Fishermen targeting snapper grouper species with hook-and-line gear and natural baits north of 28 degrees N. latitude (approximately 25 miles south of Cape Canaveral, Florida) must use non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks. The new regulations also require that all hooks must be non-stainless steel when targeting snapper grouper species in federal waters in the South Atlantic.
Recreational, Commercial and For-Hire Fishermen
Note that the new requirements apply to recreational fishermen as well as federally-permitted for-hire (charter) and commercial snapper grouper vessels fishing in federal waters (greater than 3 nautical miles) off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida.
Learn More
Additional details on the new requirements as well as information on proper handling techniques, how to identify barotrauma, and how-to videos demonstrating the effectiveness of descending devices are available from the Council’s new Best Fishing Practices webpage at: https://safmc.net/best-fishing-practices/.
Questions? Contact Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer at Kim.Iverson@safmc.net or Cameron Rhodes, Outreach Program Coordinator at Cameron.Rhodes@safmc.net or contact the Council Office at 843/571-4366.
July 7, 2020 — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made water quality improvements through environmental regulation a priority of his administration.
In his 18 months in office, DeSantis has launched a four-year, $2.5 billion plan to address water quality issues in the Everglades, receiving more than $640 million in this year’s budget.
DeSantis also has prevailed upon lawmakers to adopt several key policy directives, such as the newly minted Clean Waterways Act, which includes initiatives to reduce nutrient-laden runoff into state waters and increases environmental fines by 50 percent.
As a part of that effort, DeSantis resigned House Bill 1061, which designates about 800 square miles of Gulf of Mexico coastal waters off Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, including 400,000 acres of seagrass, as the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve.
Sponsored by Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, HB 1061 was approved by the House, 117-1, and the Senate, 39-0, where that chamber’s version was spearheaded by Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Bartow.
The Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve is the first preserve created by Florida lawmakers in 32 years and the 42nd established since the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act of 1975 allowed state-owned submerged lands with “exceptional biological, aesthetic and scientific value” to be classified as aquatic preserves or sanctuaries.