Tomorrow is a big day for fishermen who like to eat what they catch.
At stake
The FWC commission is trying to pass legislative to create a mechanism that
grants them the ability to close a fishery to harvest not just for
biological reasons but for “marketing purposes”, “tourism strategy” and in
effect any personal or political reasons without any scientific
justification or checks on their actions.
That’s right, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Bonefish Tarpon
Trust and other special interest groups are trying to push an agenda to
classify fish such as Permit and Cobia as Gamefish or Sportfish. Doing so
would eliminate harvest for food and turning the fishery in to catch and
release only and thus illegal to harvest by spear.
Cobia and Permit are great table fair food fish and neither are in jeopardy
of over fishing or are being over fished. If this is allowed to pass, other
species of fish could be added to the Gamefish/Sportfish status. …