Questioning the 15-day gag grouper season, nine snook zones
How can we expect small businesses to survive dealing with the uncertainty of National Marine Fisheries’ inability to factor into their decisions the crippling impacts on our marine and tourism?
This is not about politics or a political party, this is simply about the bureaucratic government’s brazen, inconsiderate attacks on our ability to create and follow a working business plan. We can’t follow our script, because our target species or gear gets shut down with little, even no notice! Occasionally this can be necessary, but most agencies are supposed to factor in the financial impact of their recommendations.
One current great example is our 15-day gag grouper season. I’m curious as to how NOAA chooses the peak weeks of hurricane season, openings of hunting season and football, schools are all going; but let’s do it then? Maybe half of the season will get blown out by a storm? Somewhere there are lobbies that influenced the choosing of these times.
These government “experts” have steady paychecks, benefits and retirement plans so they lack the capability to consider how their actions destroy our ability to support our families.
A great example, I was fishing with a Florida F&W Commissioner one day and he asked me which month they should close for spring grouper spawning closures. I suggested they close the first two weeks of each month so fishermen could pay their bills, and the supply chain had domestic fish half of the time. That’s what they did. He welcomed the idea, he just lacked the understanding we deal with living paycheck to paycheck. He had the financial means to consider much longer outlooks. Most will listen if we communicate as solutions are being developed, but after staff have established their recommendations it’s much harder to change the vote.
Examples I’ve had that devastated my fishing career: Back in 1986 I bought a beautiful tarpon boat so I could take advantage of my Spring and Fall king mackerel seasons. Finally, a way to take advantage of three very lucrative seasons. But NMFs decided that they would go from no restrictions on kingfish to a total immediate, several years, shut down. Yes, this was a long way back but is a perfect example of their long-term disregard for the fishing business’ economy. P.S. our king mackerel seasons never recovered from this shut down!
On a state level we have endured a collapse of our charter backcountry fishing opportunities. We now have two short snook seasons, with a 5-inch slot limit and now season openings are a tiny proportion of what it was. Plus nine different zones to deal with. Every guide that was worth his salt and every marina/boat ramp was slammed for spring snook season. Ask any of the old timers, including marinas, how much this affected their business. We all went from no openings for clients, to no business or income, directly from closures. And remember when we force folks to find new destinations most do not come back. King fishing is a fraction of what we enjoyed.
Redfish and trout also went through restrictions and closures. We certainly do need management and restrictions, but they can be more harm than good. Examples we must factor in are when we close one species, we redirect the increased efforts to anything still open. How has this worked out? Everything is a mess now except the mackerel species that we forced folks away from. Look at our messes. Everything inside then grouper and red snapper outside.
I’m concerned for the survival of our settler’s traditional occupation. Fishing established our coastal economies and now is at risk.
I’m very serious when I point out the abundance of fish and importance to Florida’s coastal communities’ establishment. Factor in the poor equipment, cotton nets that required liming every day, sail and row boats, no weather forecast, no radios for communication etc. Only then can we begin to imagine the abundance of fish we had. Plus, several clam and oyster plants shipping tons of product north. Our wetlands worked to maintain excellent water quality in which sea life thrived.
What have we accomplished? We brought in people and trashed our wetlands and estuaries then acted surprised that it’s a big mess. The only thing worse than the cost to try and correct our abuse, is the cost if we don’t catch up fixing our mess after a collapse. It is mind boggling. If you doubt any of this just look at Chesapeake Bay collapse, costs into the billions and fifty years of work to salvage an estuary.
Another book I like to refer to is “Glory of the Silver King, the Golden Age of Tarpon Fishing” from the memoirs of Hart Stillwell, edited by Brandon Shuler. Hart understood and pointed out the damage inconsiderate, unmitigated growth and development does to our environments and fisheries. He did it back in the fifties! He points out the requirement for water quality to allow the smaller shrimp, crabs, juvenile fish, etc., to thrive. Our gamefish require the food and habitats to survive, reproduce and grow. They document the ups and downs of Texas growth and fish declines. How extensive shrimping removed the fish’s food supplies. Hart was an established outdoor writer and thrived in the coastal fisheries even down into Mexico. He had firsthand knowledge and thought it all compiled anecdotal information but passed before he finished his chronicle. Brandon researched and edited the extensive information plus several manuscripts to compile the book. Read it.
Actions have reactions. When lobbyists and folks with a clear agenda are steering our “management” decisions expect problems. The biggest issues are that the decisions lack input while they are created from old time fisherman with hands-on real-life knowledge as to options and reasons for the problems. We have few individuals living with expansive knowledge and lack of agenda able to educate our leaders on vetted ideas to preserve and protect our natural resources. Water quality and new development impact fish stocks. It also drives huge parts of our economies.
Capt. Van Hubbard started tarpon guiding at Boca Grande in 1981. He has penned hundreds of articles on fishing and wildlife.
About the author: Capt. Van Hubbard started tarpon guiding at Boca Grande in 1981. He has penned hundreds of articles on fishing and wildlife, and was among the regular columnists for the Boca Beacon with his outdoors column Hook, Line and Sinker. Over the years, from 1986-96, Van expanded into the television business, hosting the award-winning TV series Let’s Go Fishin’. Follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/CaptVanHubbard or visit his website at captvan.com
