permit controversy --- proposed FWC action..

[TGunn]

Capt. Bob,

If you want anyone on FWCC to listen to you or give your rational thought process any credence, you had better start taking some of those FWCC Commissioners on some free flyfishing trips. . .based on the way they handled the Special Permit Zone vote.

Good luck. I'll PM you my information if you don't have it anymore, I'm always happy to go on record at the meetings (although I don't know how happy it makes others.)

[Dazigg]

The rules have become so convoluted that it just turns me off from fishing as much as I used to. Years ago I fished so much it was borderline obsession, these days not as much due to work and family, but JEES, everytime I get the opportunity to throw a line in the water I feel like a I need to call an attorney beforehand..........

[Permit Rat]

And people wonder why I now fish in Mexico.

[XXX]

Bob. So basically gamefish status really only effects the charter captain from keeping any fish for their clients? And the rec angler can still keep a limit if they choose? Am i reading this correctly?
Sportfish means no one can harvest the fish commercialy or recreationaly?

[lemaymiami]

This whole deal has yet to be decided but in essence it would allow the FWC to bend to whoever is the more politically powerful and make decisions about our fisheries that aren't based on science or any real need. If we go down that road we're well on our way to the kind of rule making that NOAA, the EPA, and everyone in Washington would understand and applaud -that sort of stuff is common at the federal level, unfortunately....

The best example I can think of is all the fuss down in the Keys about the permit... folks down there that just happen to be politically well connected... want to see permit made a no take fish everywhere in the state. Folks in the Ten Thousand Islands, the remainder of the southwest coast all the way up to Tampa consider a permit to be a food fish.... and there's absolutely not one speck of evidence that permit stocks are anything other than healty and thriving everywhere you find them (except maybe up on the flats around the Keys - but sheer fishing pressure is the real problem down there...).

Another example is the current continuing closed season for snook from the Everglades all the up the west coast of Florida. Their own researchers told the FWC that it wasn't needed but they've done it anyway to satisfy folks loudly complaining all the way up in Tampa.... These kind of decisions will come back to bite us. As long as decisions about fisheries are made for the welfare of the fish populations with solid science and data to support them we'll be in good shape. -But that's not the intention here and I believe we'll suffer for it in the end.

[Panhandler80]

A survey can be found here if you wish to voice your disgust...

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JG2XCTR

[Killowatt]

Thanks, I just voiced my disgust...

[lemaymiami]

I've been out of town the last five days.... Can anyone advise the status of this dangerous proposal? -as of 28 Jan...

[catdad100]

Gotta nip this in the bud or it will just snowball

[closcab]

Thanks for the education, would have never known without your post.