Recently, but before Amendment 16 became official earlier this week, I interviewed Capt. Bill Kelly, of the Islamorada Charter Boat Association, and a leader of the protest against the closure of shallow-water grouper fishing in the Southeast Atlantic management area. Kelly and his group, along with other captains and tackle store owners in the Keys, were outspoken in their opposition to the South Atlantic Council’s plans to close grouper fishing when it was first proposed last fall as an emergency interim measure, but ultimately shunted aside by NOAA.

Now that the closure will come under the aegis of Amendment 16, which addresses measures to manage the snapper-grouper fishery, and is slated to begin January 1, 2010, reactions among anglers on the east coast of Florida and the Keys have been subdued, if not downright nonexistent. I wanted to find out from Capt. Kelly the latest news of any organized protest to the measure.

Q: What’s the latest take on the upcoming closure to shallow water grouper fishing?

A: Here in the Keys, we’re responsible for only 2 percent of the total catch of gags in the South Atlantic region. But they might close down all grouper fishing due to the gag closure.

A SEDAR assessment study of stocks of black and red grouper began in June, and will continue through this year, and the primary conductor will be the FWC. We’re happy to see that. Florida has more up-to-date data and statistics than the SAFMC has been working with, and that is in our best interest; the SAFMC is directly responsible for the SEDAR. The players involved from the FWC will give us some fresher data that should cast a new light on some of these issues. The data being used by the SAFMC is outdated, and in some instances is 9 or 10 years old. The whole purpose of the SEDAR is to get the fresh data.

The Council is making it clear that they’re going to close the grouper fishing, and they probably will do it unless there is a huge public outcry. The final review of the SEDAR is due in January 2010, and if it shows that the blacks and reds are in good shape, perhaps they might amend it to a partial closure, not a four-month closure.

We’re hopeful that the SEDAR assessment is not going to show the dire numbers that the SAFMC would have us believe.

Q: Is there any resistance to the measure in the Keys as there was when it was first proposed last fall?

A: I think everyone is just as adamantly opposed to it as before. But right now guys are really worried about keeping their businesses. It’s the nature of the beast of for-hire guys. Here in Whale Harbor Channel in Islamorada, you used to see 150 boats and now you’re lucky to see 10. Cheeca Lodge was responsible for 2,400 bluewater trips a year and that lodge caught fire on New Year’s Eve. People are concerned with keeping their jobs.

Q: What do you think the effects of the closure will be?

A: It’s tough enough now, and for-hire guys are getting nicked away. It’s all the little things that are really hurting the industry. We’re not seeing much activity among recreational anglers. Charterboats are off 60 to 80 percent.

If they do close the shallow-water grouper fishing, my take is that it’s absolute insanity. We’re looking forward to the SEDAR, and that’s good science. Previously, we have proposed spawning closures on mutton snapper and amberjack, but they wouldn’t hear us. Now, after more than two decades of federal management, the fish stocks are even worse off.