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Grouper economics
By STEPHEN NOHLGREN, Times Staff Writer
Published January 31, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - Congress requires federal regulators to protect fishing stocks they think are in trouble, and that's what the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council intends to do with gag grouper. The council must also consider public opinion, and on Wednesday several hundred anglers, charter boat captains and marine supply store owners gave them an earful. Proposed cutbacks are designed to cut recreational and commercial gag fishing by 45 percent. Gag are the favorite target of offshore recreational fishermen. Speaker after speaker predicted economic disaster, claimed the gulf is teeming with gag and said that high fuel prices have already reduced the gag catch because people can't afford to go fishing offshore. Some comments: "We had to close gag fishing two years ago for three months because of (Hurricanes) Katrina and Wilma. I lost 98 percent of my business in those three months. You are basically closing down my business. I will have to let people go." Bill Hardman, owner of Aquatic Obsessions, a St. Petersburg dive shop. "I like to go out 30 or 40 miles. With the cost as it is now, limiting my grouper to one gag will shut me down. I won't spend that much money to go offshore for one fish." Mike Weinard, Tampa fisherman. "If you take my grouper, there is no reason for me to stay here. I'll move away. I make $44,000 a year. I can't afford to go out every day of the week. Please don't take my grouper." Brandon Wilson, fisherman. "No group of people is going to pay $3,000 to go out and harvest one grouper. I have a federal (charter) license. Pay me $1.99 for it and I'll throw in a couple of tilapia fillets from Publix in as well." Armando Suarez, spearfishing guide.
[Last modified January 30, 2008, 23:56:50]
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by Marcus
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02/07/08 09:58 AM
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Phil and Stephan,
You guys are sheep. Why don't you take up a cause that actually needs you. Get educated on it first.
There is no shortage of gag grouper. Their own data shows this. There is absolutely no reason for such drastic cuts.
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by Mark
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01/31/08 05:09 PM
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There is no shortage of grouper. There own stats show that. We need to stop the indiscriminate killing of fish by the longliners! The kill small fish, and use them for bait!
I fish, and agree there needs to be changes, but not this drastic.
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by Wade
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01/31/08 12:11 PM
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Teachers also get every conceivable holiday off 2 months a year. Isn't it funny how they want to be paid for a full year. Don't buy into the sympathetic b.s. that teachers should be paid more. Why isn't there a teacher shortage then???!
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by Phil
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01/31/08 11:52 AM
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These people are blind! The reasons why these laws are in place is because grouper are being over-fished and are disappearing. At the same time these hypocrites do not seem to be doing anything to reverse the trend.
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by jesse
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01/31/08 10:47 AM
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my questions are: who is doing the research? where do feds get there info? and is the info reliable? there are lots of fish out there for everyone. also, what's going to happen when all those offshore guys start fishing inshore? 5 GROUPER STAYS!!!
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by stefan
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01/31/08 07:17 AM
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"Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last fish has been caught, only after the last river has been poisoned, only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten."
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