Florida Archives - Page 58 of 64

Loggerhead sea turtles aid in NOAA research to protect the species

June 16, 2016 — PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Paris Janos visited Ben Higgins from the Galveston National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Lab on Wednesday Morning. Higgins is conducting research on Panama City Beach this month to help protect sea turtles.

Researchers are working on Turtle Excluder Devices, or TED’s.

“Tens of thousands of sea turtles were drowning each year in shrimp trawls before the Turtle Excluder Device [TED] was invented and made mandatory in 1989,” Higgins told Paris. “Each year we look at new and improved ted designs with the aim of making sure the very best technology is being used by the fisheries to save sea turtles.”

NOAA’s Panama City Beach lab has 220 loggerhead sea turtles on site, including 160 two-year-old and 60 yearlings.

Read the full story at ABC Panama City

CFA Responds to Approval of H.R. 3094 Today in the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee

June 15, 2016 — The following was released by the Charter Fisherman’s Association:

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Earlier today the House Natural Resources committee in Congress approved H.R. 3094 by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La) to transfer management of the private, charter for-hire and commercial components of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fisheries away from the federal government to a newly created five-person committee made up of the five Gulf state fishery directors. The CFA has been adamantly opposed to this concept since its inception last year and one of our members (Captain Gary Jarvis) testified against the bill in a hearing on the bill in October. The following statements are in reaction to this morning’s vote.

“As federally permitted charter captains, we are the access point for millions of Americans who want to go offshore but don’t own a big boat,” said Captain Shane Cantrell from Galveston, TX. “We have worked constructively with NOAA to develop management solutions for our industry to improve accountability, increase sustainability and deliver flexibility for our customers and most of the Gulf States have opposed us every step of the way. Congress should be advised that transferring authority over this fishery will result in the Gulf of Mexico being reserved for only wealthy boat owners in short order.”

“I am disappointed to see this dangerous piece of legislation move out of the Natural Resources committee because our industry has been near unanimous in saying that we want to stay under federal management. The private recreational system is what is broken and those anglers absolutely deserve relief, but you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If the states want to manage millions of private anglers that is fine, but there are 1,200 of us and we operate exclusively in federal waters and we don’t want any part of that.” ~ Capt. Gary Jarvis from Destin, FL.

“In addition to turning their backs on years of progress in rebuilding this fishery, they are passing down a huge unfunded mandate to my home state of Louisiana. After the multi-billion dollar mess that the previous Governor left us, I don’t know how they expect us to pay for the management of another 191 miles offshore!” ~ Capt. Steve Tomeny from Fourchon, LA.

Council to consider loosening red snapper fishing rules

June 15, 2016 — COCOA BEACH, Fla. — A regional fish management panel meets this week to consider — among other things — whether to allow more time for fishermen to bag a red snapper.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries closed the red snapper fishery on Jan. 4, 2010, to protect the species from fishing pressure. Fishery managers said the ban was necessary because the species had been “overfished.”

The council in recent years had reopened the fishery for short seasons lasting only a few days, after new scientific information projected red snapper could continue to grow in numbers, even with some allowable catch.

Consideration of allowing up to a six-month red snapper fishing season — possibly by 2018 — will come up at around 1:30 p.m. at the Wednesday, June 15 council meeting, held at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 1550 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach.

Read the full story at Florida Today

Florida lionfish: King of the ocean no more?

June 15, 2016 — Marc Gralnick’s eyes dart toward the beastly fish in the Whole Foods Market display case.

“Wild-looking thing, isn’t it?” he said.

Three whole lionfish, striped and menacing-looking, lay bulbous-eyed on ice like a dare. Gralnick isn’t scared. He hasn’t stopped thinking about eating lionfish since he had it at a Miami restaurant recently.

“I’m totally into it,” he said. “I loved it. I would have ordered more if it were socially appropriate for one person to order two entrees.”

Gralnick, who lives in Midtown, came to the South Beach store shopping for fresh vegetables and fish for him and his girlfriend. But he’s coming home with an added surprise.

Starting this month, all 26 Whole Foods Markets in Florida will carry lionfish. They are the first national retailer to carry this invasive fish, as prized for its rich flavor as it is reviled for how quickly this one-time aquarium novelty has overtaken Florida’s coasts.

Thanks to a series of venomous spines along its back, lionfish has no natural predators in our waters. It devours any and all kinds of native sea life. And it is often spit up by everything from giant grouper to nurse sharks. Those spines not only ward off potential enemies, they’ve also deterred diners and home cooks. Until now.

Man — thanks to men like Gralnick — is putting itself back on top of the food chain.

Read the full story at the Bradenton Herald

Southeastern Fisheries Association: Keep Federal Management of Red Snapper

June 14, 2016 — The following opinion piece was released by Southeastern Fisheries Association Executive Director Bob Jones, concerning H.R. 3094, the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act. The bill “amend[s] the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to transfer to States the authority to manage red snapper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.” The bill will be subject to full committee markup by the House Natural Resources Committee tomorrow, June 15:

HR 3094 will scuttle, by action and precedence, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). We believe the MSA has done much to make US fishery resources sustainable.

Before there was a federal fishery management zone, commercial fishermen brought their issues before the state legislatures. They were assured fair hearings by legislative committees. Then some state fish commissions, in Florida for example, assumed the management without legislative oversight. The Florida Marine Fisheries Commission did come under the Governor and SIX elected Cabinet Officers for a few years where fishery issues were fully discussed. Then an autonomous Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission was established so the commercial fishermen came under a SEVEN person group. In Florida we started out under a 160 member legislature, then down to a SEVEN member commission and now HR 3094 places us and a billion dollar seafood industry under the whims of THREE people with no federal oversight for managing federal resources. Is any other food producing industry subject to THREE unelected people in control of their livelihood?

When the MSA was enacted it established management of Gulf red snapper under a SEVENTEEN person fisheries council composed of all state members except one. The council operates under a mandated set of National Standards. For the most part it operates under the rule of law.

HR 3094 changes the rule of law to the rule of man by creating a FIVE member authority with no elected official oversight. On a FIVE member authority THREE votes is a majority.

“(502 (a) (1) of HR 3094 (says:) Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority that consists of the principal fisheries manager of each of the Gulf coastal States.“

“{c) (i) of HR 3094 (says:) any recommendation by the GSRSMA to reduce quota apportioned to the commercial sector by more than 10 percent shall be reviewed and approved by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.”

This means the ‘Gulf States authority’ will reallocate 9.99% of the red snapper each year from the commercial harvesting sector to the anglers. This Texas/Louisiana CCA inspired ‘authority’ will allocate all the red snapper for themselves in about a decade. That is the true goal of this bill.

HR 3094 was already killed when it was proposed as an amendment to the MSA legislation. It has “risen from the ashes” to once more attempt to reward the only fishing sector without accountability.

HR 3094 needs to be killed just as it was at full committee earlier in the Congress.

View a PDF version here

Red snapper confusion has some seeing red

June 10, 2016 — Next week, expect to hear more talk about confounding math methods than the first time our schoolchildren introduced us adults to Common Core. Then expect to hear that many anglers turned as red in the face as the scales on the red snapper they will again be told they can’t keep when fishing in federal waters.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet in Cocoa Beach for week-long meetings to discuss management of some of the more than 100 species of important food fish and popular game fish it is responsible for handling.

The bulk of the focus during next week’s meetings will be on the red snapper, a fish that is very important to three sectors with very different goals. Red snapper grow large, fight hard, fetch a good price at the market, and have a critical role in the ecosystem of the coral reefs located on the sea floor from North Carolina to Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Commercial fishermen working out of ports from Sebastian and Port Canaveral to the Outer Banks would love to target red snapper year round. Charter boat operators in that same zone are stinging ever since the National Marine Fisheries Service put a halt to red snapper harvest in 2010. Recreational anglers who fish a day or two on the weekend aren’t allowed to take any home for dinner, either.

But next week, the entire world that revolves around the red snapper will have a chance to read and hear the latest data on this prized and valuable resource. The long-awaited red snapper stock assessment was completed in April and peer reviewed in May, so it will be debuted to the world Tuesday and Wednesday.

Read the full story at TC Palm

Fighting Back Against Invasive Lionfish

June 6, 2016 — Invasive lionfish are a massive problem that requires creative solutions. One of the most popular approaches to lionfish management is the lionfish derby: An all-day fishing competition where teams collect as many lionfish as possible to compete for prizes. Often, the events bring together local communities in the evening to learn about (and snack on!) lionfish.

In May, Ocean Conservancy was thrilled to help sponsor the 2016 Sebastian Lionfish Fest hosted by Indian River County, Florida. I sat down with Kendra Cope, Indian River County’s coastal environmental specialist and sea turtle coordinator, to learn more about her efforts.

OC: What inspired you to host this event on lionfish?

Kendra: Lionfish have been seen in all coastal waters inside Indian River County, Florida (IRC) jurisdiction, including our local estuary the Indian River Lagoon. Lionfish are known predators of recreational and economically important Florida native fish like red snapper and grouper and have been observed along the county’s natural nearshore wormrock reefs and constructed artificial reefs.

This area also has a niche for those who love fresh, local, delicious foods. The area is home to many first class chefs who enjoy crafting dishes with new flavors. All of this created a great foundation for the food, fun, and educational outreach provided by the inaugural Sebastian Lionfish Fest.

Read the full story at Ocean Conservancy

FLORIDA: Fishermen worry proposals to protect South Florida’s reefs could impact fishing

June 2, 2016 — A group called Our Florida Reefs is pushing for changes that would help protect 105 miles of South Florida’s coral reef, but it could come at a cost for the local fishing industry.

State officials and community leaders are meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Coconut Creek to discuss plans to help better manage local reefs.

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection set up the Our Florida Reefs project. For the past two years, group members have been researching ways to help dying reefs.

Members of the group are stakeholders from Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. They include business leaders, dive professionals, fishermen, environmentalists and county leaders.

Read the full story at NBC Palm Beach

SAFMC to Meet in Cocoa Beach, FL on June 13-17, 2016

May 27, 2016 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Meeting Location:

Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront

1550 N. Atlantic Avenue

Cocoa Beach FL 32931

Phone: 800-445-8667 or 321-799-0003

Agenda Highlights

Mackerel Committee – Discussion on Atlantic cobia management.
Snapper Grouper Committee – Discussions on management of mutton snapper, red snapper, and hogfish.
Data Collection Committee – Discussion on electronic reporting for charter vessels.
Joint Dolphin Wahoo/Snapper Grouper Committees – Discussion on allocations for dolphinfish and yellowtail snapper.

Fishermen hear red snapper options

May 26, 2016 — PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Charter boat captains and recreational anglers had a chance to weigh in how they think the recreational red snapper fishery should be managed during a Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council hearing Tuesday night.

For the past few years the council has managed for-hire vessels and recreational anglers differently. For example, this year for-hire boats will have a 46-day season to fish federal waters while the recreational fishermen will have nine days.

It’s worth noting that recreational fishermen will have a 78-day season in state waters this year that for-hire vessels won’t be able to participate in.

The provision that allows the two groups to be managed differently at the federal level is set to expire at the end of 2017. The council offered three options to the few dozen fishermen who showed up for the meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Read the full story at the Panama City News Herald