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| You are Here: | Home >> News Headlines >> Gulf Amberjack Fishery Closed | | |
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Gulf Amberjack Fishery Closed
Federal regulators will shut down the recreational fishery for greater amberjack on October 24.
And so goes the experiment that is recreational, yearly fishing quotas. In 2008, NOAA Fisheries Service implemented a recreational catch quota of 1.3 million pounds for greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2009, the Gulf AJ fishery will shutdown early; the closure could fester into 2010. Based on recent catch data from regulators, NOAA scientists determined the recreational quota for AJs to be full. Therefore, the greater amberjack lockout will start Oct. 24 and will continue at least until the end of the year. NOAA Fisheries Service decided this action necessary to keep the recreational sector from exceeding its quota during the 2009 fishing year. Even with the lockout on amberjack, NOAA Fisheries Service can file a notification with the Office of the Federal Register to reduce the length of the recreational fishing season next year. The closure length would be determined by “the amount necessary to recover the overage from the prior fishing year.”  In the past, quotas were a drastic style of regulation that Sunshine State recreational anglers rarely had to follow. But more and more, recreational fishermen are getting pushed to the side in favor of two polar opposites—commercial harvesting and environmental extremism. For some offshore species, the days of only slot limits and set closed seasons might be over. Various recreational fishing groups, such as Florida's Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), have spoken out against the shut down. Below is a statement from Senator Don Gaetz, representing Panhandle sections of Florida. He opposes the National Marine Fisheries Service sudden closing of greater amberjack: Today, without warning and with apparent disregard for the impact on Northwest Florida’s economy, the National Marine Fisheries Service suddenly announced that it was closing the amberjack season. This decision combines too much authority with too little science. I strongly oppose this arbitrary decision and have asked the NMFS to reconsider and recall their announcement. No valid and reliable scientific evidence has been presented that would justify this action. NMFS is a federal agency outside of the jurisdiction of the State of Florida. Therefore I am appealing to our two US senators, George LeMieux and Bill Nelson, and Congressmen Allan Boyd and Jeff Miller to join me in a request for reconsideration. It is a measure of the insensitivity of NMFS that the agency would take this last minute action while the Destin Fishing Rodeo still has a week to go. Destin is hosting fishermen who have come here from throughout the country. The amberjack fishery is important to visitors who spend millions of dollars a year supporting our coastal economy. Though we will feel the sting here, this draconian action affects communities along our entire Gulf coast. It is ironic that a federal government handing out billions of “stimulus dollars” with one hand is, with the other, hurting the entrepreneurs, the small businesspeople who own, operate and work on fishing boats in our area. For many of our captains and mates trying to hang onto their livelihood, decisions like that made today by NMFS are an anchor rope around their throats. Unfortunately, it appears we will see a continual attack on our sportfishing industry by federal regulators. Red snapper, grouper and other fisheries have already been victims of NMFS. Therefore, in my capacity as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Florida’s Economy, I have today requested Workforce Florida to develop and offer dislocated worker and training services to Northwest Florida fishermen who may have no choice but to seek other ways to earn a living. |
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