CCA Helps Ram Another Needless Regulation Down The Sportfishing Industry’s Throat

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For the last few years we’ve warned sport fishermen about the Coastal Conservation Association. Tackle shop after tackle shop have told us that the public has no idea of the danger that the CCA poses to sport fishing and that they are leading recreational fishers “like sardines” into a “catch and release only” industry.

Every time we’ve printed warnings on the website about the CCA agenda, E-mails flow in from the Florida Sportsman Forum (mostly CCA members) calling us “liars.” But the odd thing is, over the last two years, the denials have nearly ended. It appears that the public, even some CCA members, are finally waking up!

Last Thursday, I attended the FWC snook regulation meeting in Melbourne. Local sport fishermen turned out in huge numbers to attempt to stop the needless further narrowing of the slot limit rule despite the meeting being scheduled right in the middle of a work day. The CCA brought in their “big guns” from various locations in the state.

Recreational angler after recreational angler stood up and spoke against the insane proposed regulations that would create a 4 inch slot limit for snook. In other words, under the CCA pushed rule, if the captured snook didn’t fall within 28 to 32 inches, the angler must return the fish to the water alive. The proposed regulation would also create a bag limit of one fish per angler during open season in Atlantic waters.

Of course, a good portion of the caught and released snook that don’t fall into the 4 inch slot limit will needlessly die from “gut hooking,” loss of protective slime, stress or various other reasons.

Since I’ve attended most of the FWC meetings since they were formed, I saw the “shaft” coming for the recreational community… Especially when Chairman Rodney Barreto ALMOST told the crowd not to applaud their speakers after speaking. As soon as I saw that incident happen, I knew the regulations were a “done deal,” even though most of the crowd didn’t. The majority of the commission clearly knew what they were going to do before they ever listened to the public’s comments.

How do I know that for sure???

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I’ve seen two internal FWC documents that I am attempting to procure for publication on this website. The documents reveal the FWC’s refusal to listen to their own scientists about the snook regulations being unwarranted.

The light bulb came on…

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Many recreational fishermen in Melbourne told me they remembered our warnings about the CCA agenda 11 years ago and that the common recreational angler would be next on their list. The anglers admitted they didn’t believe the warnings then… but they do now.

What do WE need to do?

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We need to work together to return science and biology to our fishery management and to stop the insane decision making of the FWC under the political control of the CCA. Make no mistake about it, our organization has always supported the recreational fishing industry! After all, our President, Ronald Crum, owns a huge tackle shop in Panacea, Florida.

Personally…

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I believe IF there ever is a problem with snook, limit the fisherman to 1 fish of any size over… let’s say… 24 inches. This will prevent the fisherman that is attempting to catch dinner from unnecessarily killing snook after snook through “catching and releasing” dozens of fish in an attempt to obtain one specific size to eat. But that might make sense… wouldn’t it?