Amendment 14 to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council proposes eight marine protected areas in federal waters, and SAFMC will hold eight public hearings about the proposed closed zones. The MPAs are proposed as “Type II” areas, wherein possession of species in the snapper/grouper complex would be illegal, but anglers could still troll or livebait for pelagic species such as tuna, mackerel and billfish inside the boundaries.

A press release issued by the council says that, “The MPAs are being considered to protect a portion of the population and habitat of long-lived, slow-growing deepwater snapper/grouper species . . . from directed fishing pressure.” These species include, snowy grouper, misty grouper, speckled hind, yellowedge grouper, warsaw grouper, golden tilefish and blueline tilefish.

The council points out that these deepwater species are “most vulnerable to overfishing because they live longer than 50 years, do not survive the trauma of being captured from deeper water, and they have complex life histories.” Significant reductions in commercial take of these species are pending, and the council also says that the proposed closed zones are intended to be used “in concert” with traditional management methods. They say chosen areas reflect a “collaborative approach, reflecting years of planning and recommendations from advisory panels and public input.”

Skeptics say that by locking out family-level fishermen, the closed zones go too far, and that further reductions in the commercial take and better enforcement would serve to restore stocks. They point to Bay and Franklin county incidents where officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) caught commercial fishermen with 123 undersize red grouper, 12 undersize red grouper and 61 out-of-seasson red snapper. For more information, visit www.safmc.net.

Public Comment Hearings in Florida:

Sept. 12, 2006
Hampton Inn St. Augustine
430 A1A Beach Blvd.
St. Augustine, FL 32080
(904) 471-4000

Sept. 13, 2006
Hutchinson Island Marriott
555 N.E. Ocean Blvd.
Stuart, FL 34996

Sept. 14, 2006
Islander Resort
Islamorada, FL 33036
(305) 664-2031