
“What we want is sound, common sense management so we can plan our businesses,” says Charter Boat Captain Ben Fairy.
Ben Fairey is one of dozens of commercial fishermen circling Perdido Pass. Some carried signs and words of warning--but many echoed the same message--they've done plenty to help the fish population already. They say they’ve helped make fisheries sustainable but regulators are making it hard for them to stay afloat.
“To save these fish and make sure we're going to have fish for future generations and now that they're there they won't let us harvest them,” says Charter Boat Captain Joe Nash. The bottom line is that many of these fishermen say these regulations shorten their seasons and make it harder to make a living.
“Last year it was a good you know 15% to 20% of the gross and the year before that was even harder because of the fuel prices,” says Nash. Organizers say they want regulators to include data from real fishermen in their studies. For more information on plans from the protesters you can go to this website. The protest on the water also had fans on shore.
“It's like the lawyers say everybody has rights but if you don't fight for them you don't have them so you have to stand up and show we're not going to take it anymore,” says recreational fisherman Tim Wilson. He’s one of several recreational fishermen gathering along the water's edge to show their support for fellow fisherman and frustration with regulation.
“The government wants to control everything you do after a while, I'm surprised they don't tell us we can't go out on our boat without sunscreen,” says Wilson. I tried contacting the National Marine Fisheries Service for some sort of comment or reaction to the protest. Calls and an e-mail message were not returned. However, it is Saturday and their offices are closed.
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