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| CCA Florida: A History of Conservation |
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The Coastal Conservation Association Florida (formerly the Florida Conservation Association) is dedicated to the conservation and protection of our state's marine resources. We are a nonprofit group organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. CCA Florida is a state chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association.
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Click below to see the highlights for each corresponding year:
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1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
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| 1977 |
- A group of 14 concerned anglers in Houston form the first chapter of the Gulf Coast Conservation Association, which would later become the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), to promote responsible fishery management.
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| 1985 |
- Florida organizes under the name Florida Conservation Association (FCA) and becomes the fifth state chapter of the CCA.
- CCA establishes the New Tide, a program designed to shape conservationists at a young age (for youths 17 and younger)
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| 1986 |
- FCA intervenes with the state in lawsuits filed by the commercial industry opposing Spanish mackerel recovery plans. The victory becomes the first ever major legal defeat for the commercial netting industry.
- CCA calls for a halt to net harvest of adult redfish in the Gulf of Mexico after study reveals excessive netting in Federal Waters could collapse the resource.
- CCA stops purse seining for spawning redfish in the Gulf of Mexico and lowers maximum sizes for redfish to 30 inches.
- CCA protests the National Marine Fishery Service's Emergency Interim Plan allowing an additional one million pound harvest of redfish in the federal waters of the Gulf.
- CCA intervenes in a lawsuit filed by fishing trade groups to have state laws designed to protect redfish preempted by federal regulations, thus allowing possession and landing of redfish caught in federal waters.
- CCA prevails as the Secretary of Commerce calls for zero harvest of redfish in the Gulf during an Emergency Interim Plan.
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| 1987 |
- FCA merges with the Everglades Protection Association Inc. (EPA). The Keys/Everglades Chapter of FCA is established as a result of the merger and increases FCA's presence throughout the state.
- CCA announces opposition to the Federal Management Plan for redfish; declares it inconsistent with CCA position on conservation of the resource and the states' rights to protect it.
- CCA supports Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's amendment to Federal Management Plan for redfish.
- CCA votes to pursue efforts to bring about a management plan for billfish which are being increasingly taken by tuna longliners.
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| 1988 |
- FCA wins a four year battle to achieve gamefish status for Florida's drastically depleted redfish stocks. It is the first time since 1957 that a commercially caught species was removed from Florida's market. (The dramatic recovery of redfish will become one of the state's few big marine success stories.)
- Secretary of Commerce signs CCA supported Federal Management Plan for billfish, marking the first time federal authorities have declared a gamefish in federal waters.
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| 1989 |
- FCA is presented the Conservation Organization of the Year Award by the Florida Wildlife Federation.
- Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council adopts final proposal for the Reef Plan. The Plan includes bag limits of seven red snapper per day over 13 inches; bag limit of five grouper per day, Jewfish have a 50-inch size limit and black sea bass have a size limit of 8 inches; and amberjack limited to three fish per day with a 28-inch limit.
- CCA intervenes in a lawsuit filed to challenge the Federal Management Plan for Billfish.
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| 1990 |
- FCA plays a major role as the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council bans drift gill nets, the "Walls of Death", off Florida's Atlantic Coast. U.S. District Court turns down a challenge by commercial interests to a CCA-supported Atlantic Billfish Plan.
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| 1991 |
- FCA is instrumental in persuading the South Atlantic Fishery Council to ban destructive and wasteful fish traps from Florida's east coast federal waters.
- CCA's Tide magazine is named top outdoor magazine.
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| 1992 |
- Save our Sealife Committee (S.O.S.) is formed to initiate a constitutional amendment petition drive to limit marine net fishing in Florida state waters.
- On election day, FCA members take the lead in collecting an unprecedented, national record 201,000 petitions in a single day.
- CCA assists with an appeal of a decision by a Miami federal judge who ruled that Florida's landing laws for Spanish mackerel were unconstitutional.
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| 1993 |
- FCA legal action results in Marine Fisheries Commission establishing a closed area, no purse seine netting sanctuary in the entire Tampa Bay coastal region to protect and restore forage fish stocks that collapsed from commercial over-fishing.
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| 1994 |
- The SOS Committee's petition drive puts the SOS Amendment on the Florida state ballot by collecting more than 550,000 petitions. It is the first citizen initiative in Florida's history to have every petition gathered by an all volunteer, grassroots army.
- The Save Our Sealife Amendment is overwhelmingly approved by Florida's voters by a 72% - 28% margin. The huge vote is called "the most significant mandate for marine conservation in Florida's history".
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| 1995 |
- FCA intervenes in four lawsuits to help the State of Florida defend the SOS Amendment from commercial industry lawsuits.
- FCA successfully works with key legislators to defeat an attempt by commercial interests to abolish the MFC staff. After a major legislative battle the staff and independent status of the MFC is retained.
- FCA leads the fight against the use of damaging bottom-dragging trawls for finfish. The Governor and Cabinet consequently reverse an initial ruling and unanimously approve a rule banning the gear.
- The Governor and Cabinet approve an FCA-backed seatrout restoration plan that severely limits commercial fishing and implements more restrictive recreational bag and size limits.
- At FCA's urging new, more protective laws are approved for sheepshead, tripletail, weakfish, flounder, permit, and African pompano.
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| 1996 |
- As a result of an FCA Special Report on poaching, the legislature passes a bill increasing fines and penalties, and closing several loopholes in fishery laws.
- FCA focuses statewide attention on the "tarp scam nets." Thirteen major newspapers support FCA's position. Ultimately, the state adopts rules to ban the tarp nets for the taking of mullet and to permanently ban such gear statewide.
- During the 1996 Legislative Session, FCA unleashes a successful grassroots effort to protect threatened spending safeguards on saltwater recreational fishing license monies.
- Due to a major FCA grassroots effort, NMFS rejects another Gulf Council and commercial industry attempt to lower the red grouper minimum size limit.
- In a landmark action, strongly supported by the FCA, the MFC enacts and the Governor and Cabinet approve a law mandating by-catch reduction devices in all shrimp trawls in the N.E. Florida region.
- Local chapters in the Tampa Bay area continue to support Seagrass Replanting and Restoration programs in Tampa Bay. (See SeaWatch article) Several Chapters become more active in planning and supporting artificial reef projects.
- The FCA board votes to change from "Florida Conservation Association" to "Coastal Conservation Association Florida", thereby bringing uniformity to all states of the Coastal Conservation Association.
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| 1997 |
- With strong CCA Florida backing, the Florida legislature enacts a major fishery conservation act. The act codifies the MFC's authority to enforce the net ban, outlaws the tarp 'scam' nets, and imposes tougher penalties on repeat violators.
- CCA Florida holds its S.T.A.R. tournament with over 1,200 fishermen participating. The tournament attracts a wide variety of sponsors and press interest from throughout the state. (Click here to see the 1997 Final Standings from the S.T.A.R. Tournament!)
- The state of Florida and CCA Florida win a major three-year legal battle when the Florida Supreme Court rejects commercial industry arguments and finds the net ban constitutional.
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| 1998 |
- CCA enters into a campaign to alert the public and state government to the problem of widespread illegal netting activities.
- CCA Florida member-volunteers and staff gather photographic evidence of gill nets onboard boats clearly too small to fish outside state waters.
- CCA findings presented to the Legislature results in passage of major anti-poaching and proactive enforcement legislation. Legislation also passes that prohibits all future governors from nominating paid lobbyists to federal fishery management councils. (See Press Release)
- Poachers in two instances dump 52 and 45 filleted, undersized snook carcasses on a public road on Pine Island. CCA Florida offers a $1,000 reward and calls upon Governor Chiles to crackdown on the poachers. (Click here to see the photographic evidence)
- The State of Florida's First District Court of Appeals reverses a county court decision related to the net transit laws "because the court failed to evaluate the issues in light of the facts." The court also reverses a decision related to the net ban amendment made by county court judges attempting to declare the net amendment unconstitutional. (See SeaWatch article)
- The MFC adopts rules defining the difference between gill or entanglement nets and seine nets in response to Panhandle netter's claim that "gill net" wings on a small piece of seine net constitute a legal net. (See SeaWatch article) CCA Florida intervenes when the new rules are challenged in court by netters. State Hearing Officers uphold the rules.
- CCA Florida is successful during the Constitution Revision Commission's (CRC's) deliberations in 1997 and 1998 in turning back a commercial attempt to have the CRC consider changes to the Save Our Sealife (net ban) Amendment.
- At the urging of a coalition of conservation organizations including CCA Florida, the CRC adopts a constitution revision to unify the state fish and wildlife agencies into a single, more effective and independent Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- CCA Florida joins with other conservation organizations to form a coalition to raise money and develop a grassroots campaign to support passage of Amendment 5. CCA Florida, and its network of volunteers and grassroots activists, play a major role in the coalition campaign that achieves a 72% Yes vote for Amendment 5. The amendment creates a new, unified Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a goal long-sought by CCA Florida members. (See SeaWatch article)
- Florida becomes the first state bordering the Gulf of Mexico to mandate the use of by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) in otter trawls (used for shrimping) in all state waters. CCA Florida provides testimony and strong support for the regulations which took five years to develop. (See Press Release)
- CCA National is actively involved in the successful efforts to get NMFS to approve the Gulf Council's shrimp trawl BRD rule which impacts all offshore federal waters from the Florida Panhandle to Texas. The rule is challenged in court by Texas shrimpers. CCA National intervenes in the lawsuit.
- CCA Florida continues to work for the eventual elimination of fish traps in Gulf of Mexico waters. At CCA's urging, the Gulf Council approves a plan amendment to prohibit fish traps by February 2001 in the area south of Cape Sable. However, the Council's plan is rejected by NMFS.
- At CCA's urging MFC adopts a rule defining blue crab and stone crab traps in response to a major trap "scam" in which crab traps were being redesigned to catch fish in waters closed to fish trapping.
- Florida snook population receives its first major new protection measures in 15 years. Upper size limit of 34 inches is established to protect all the large spawning females. Increase of minimum size from 24 inches to 26 inches will substantially increase snook abundance.
- CCA works to successfully stop an effort by diving organizations to allow spear fishing of snook and other gamefish in Florida.
- CCA Florida also works to gain NMFS approval of the Gulf of Mexico Council's proposed amberjack regulations that prohibit the commercial take of amberjack during the months of March, April and May.
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| 1999 |
- CCA-backed legislation passes which merges the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Marine Fisheries Commission and the necessary Marine Patrol and marine resource elements of the Department of Environmental Protection to establish and fund the new Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). (See Press Release)
- CCA Florida actively contributes to the process that leads to Governor Bush's choice of four excellent appointments to the new Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (See SeaWatch article)
- CCA works with the South Atlantic council to get specific recommendations incorporated as preferred options in the Council's proposed management plan for dolphin and wahoo. (See SeaWatch article) The CCA Florida position is coordinated with and endorsed by CCA Georgia, CCA South Carolina and CCA North Carolina. CCA Florida also works successfully to get CCA members appointed to the dolphin/wahoo advisory panels for the South Atlantic Council.
- CCA takes the lead in negotiating an agreement with The Billfish Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, and the Bluewater Fishermen's Association (commercial longliners' group) to support congressional legislation which would establish large-scale time and area closures and create a longline boat and permits buy-out program. Congressional legislation, which grew out of the agreement is developed and bills are filed in both the U.S. Senate and House. (Click here to see CCA Florida's Position Paper on the Longline Agreement) (Click here to see the CCA/ASA Press Release announcing the introduction of the longline legislation)
- The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council adopts a management plan which would eventually prohibit the commercial take of sargassum vegetation in all offshore federal waters from Florida to North Carolina. CCA Florida works to generate support for the Council plan during the NMFS review and public comment process. (See Press Release) Despite overwhelming support from the public, NMFS rejects the Council's plan.
- CCA Florida's request for an investigation into rising numbers of commercially-harvested pompano results in a finding that large-scale illegal netting of pompano is occurring. FWC proposals for rule amendments to further control pompano poaching are initiated.
- CCA Florida is successful in securing appointments that restore the Florida conservation/recreation representative to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (see SeaWatch article) and maintained the Florida conservation representative for the Gulf Council (see SeaWatch article).
- CCA Florida staff, along with other advisory panel members, help to guide the FWC hatchery program toward a major redfish stocking project in Tampa Bay. The CCA Florida Tampa Chapter initiates a two-year project to acquire and provide bird netting for the hatchery grow-out ponds.
- CCA intervenes in a lawsuit filed by the Texas Shrimp Association (TSA) against mandated BRD requirements in portions of the Gulf. A federal judge in Florida rules in favor of the Council, CCA, and the BRD requirement regulations.
- CCA Florida staff works with CCA National staff to develop a consensus red snapper management recommendation among all CCA gulf states (Texas, Louisiana and Alabama) and a strategy for Council and NMFS approval. The plan is approved at both the FWC and Gulf Council levels. (See SeaWatch article)
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| 2000 |
- CCA National takes the lead in advocating congressional legislation to permanently prohibit drift longlines off of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina and establish large time and area closures in the Gulf. CCA Florida develops an Issues & Answers Paper on the facts behind the legislation, gaining FWC endorsement. The bill fails, but strong congressional support leads to the creation of longline regulations by NMFS that includes longline closed areas off of Florida and Georgia that are virtually identical to proposals in the federal legislation.
- CCA Florida initiates a special project to address illegal gill netting, and also mounts a successful grassroots campaign to stop a commercial industry request to use “hoop net/fish traps” in state marine waters.
- CCA and the American Sportfishing Association gain congressional sponsors for the “Freedom to Fish Act” which states that prohibiting all forms of recreational fishing must be a measure of last resort and should be implemented only after other management measures have been tried.
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| 2001 |
- Following implementation of time and area longline closures commercial groups challenged the rule in federal court. CCA intervenes in the proceedings to defend the rules and argue for even larger areas.
- CCA Florida is instrumental during the Legislative session in acquiring $435,000 for the FWC saltwater hatchery and two artificial reef budget items totaling $1.5 million. The redfish stocking program releases the one millionth fingerling into Tampa Bay.
- As a result of CCA research FWC staff begin identifying actions to resolve illegal netting problems. Also, the Palm Beach Chapter obtain and donate $10,000 worth of radar equipment to the FWC to enhance enforcement.
- CCA Florida becomes involved in state and federal manatee protection plans because of closed-door negotiations over settlement of a lawsuit filed by environmental and animal welfare groups. The FWC eventually incorporates several substantial CCA Florida amendments into the final agreement. CCA Florida also contracted for an assessment of manatee scientific information and produced the Fraser Report, “Manatees in Florida: 2001.”
- CCA Florida prepares information documenting the obvious illegal netting of pompano in state waters and urged the FWC to adopt specific measures to control the problem. Substantial new conservation measures are adopted by the FWC for west coast snook that are identical to CCA Florida recommendations. The FWC also adopts new statewide cobia regulations which, with the exception of a two-per-person commercial limit, are the same as the CCA Florida recommendations. And, at CCA Florida’s urging, the FWC endorses the management option in the Gulf Council’s red grouper plan to prohibit the use of bottom longlines out to 50 fathoms.
- CCA Florida successfully mobilizes public opposition to the South Atlantic Council’s proposed list of 40 new “marine protected areas/no fishing zones,” 19 of which are proposed for Florida’s east coast. The number of proposed areas off Florida is reduced to four which would only be designed for protection of deepwater snapper/grouper spawning areas.
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| 2002 |
- CCA Florida mobilized staff, members and the public to oppose expansion of commercial shrimp trawling into prime recreational shrimping and fishing waters in the St. Johns River that had been closed to trawling for over 20 years. In the face of strong opposition, the commercial request was withdrawn.
- Working with a coalition of fishing and boating interests, CCA Florida helped to pass the first major amendments to state manatee legislation in the last 10 years. The new amendments require the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to establish "measurable biological goals" for manatees and include local review panels when establishing local regulations.
- CCA Florida also worked with the FWC to insure reasonable access for recreational fishing in 12 new manatee zones. At CCA's urging the FWC completed a "Preliminary Biological Status Review of the Florida Manatee which clearly stated that there is no evidence that manatee populations have ever declined over the past 45 years, and that manatee populations have actually expanded since the 1970s. The report also recommended that the species status should be reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened."
- CCA Florida convinced the FWC to begin a rule-making process to address problems with the use of multiple seine nets tied together and "toy boats" used to circumvent restrictions on the number of nets that can be fished at one time. CCA Florida also highlighted major poaching instances including an abandoned net containing 7,000 pounds of Spanish mackerel and a video showing a daytime gill net operation.
- CCA Florida worked with its grassroots network to block a Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's proposal to prohibit recreational harvest of all grouper for four months as part of a red grouper recovery plan. The council subsequently passed preliminary regulations banning the use of commercial longlines in the fishery.
- An effort was launched in opposition to an attempt to repeal a local law prohibiting the use of seine nets in the inshore waters of Martin County, thus preventing a cascade of attempts by commercial netters to repeal local conservation regulations.
- Local CCA Florida chapters continued "hands on" restoration efforts in 2002. On the west coast, members of the Tampa Chapter worked with Tampa Bay Watch to create new oyster bars and saltmarsh habitats in the greater Tampa Bay ecosystem. On Florida's East coast, Orlando Chapter members led an effort to plant more than 23,000 mangrove trees along the shoreline of the Indian River Lagoon in 2002. CCA Florida acquired $45,000 in funding from conservation foundations to support these restoration efforts.
- CCA National and the American Sportfishing Association developed and obtained congressional sponsors for the "Freedom to Fish Act," which, if passed by the U.S. Congress, would require federal agencies to exhaust traditional fisheries management remedies before prohibiting recreational fishing.
- CCA Florida completed a special report, Failures and Exploitations Bias in Federal Fishery Management Programs -- Recommendations for Systemic Changes, which revealed a pattern of management failures and commercial bias in rule making and appointments to federal fishery management councils.
- 2002 in Review— Manatees, No-Fishing Zones and Net Ban Enforcement Dominate Issues [Seawatch Article]
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| 2003 |
- A CCA Florida special report, Failures and Exploitation Bias in Federal Fishery Management Programs — Recommendations for Systemic Changes, is released which reveals a pattern of failures and commercial bias in resource regulation and appointments to federal fishery management councils. (See Seawatch article, May 2003)
- An FWC assessment of inshore waters, done at CCA’s request, reveals that more than one quarter of a million acres are in manatee protection zones.
- CCA Florida continues to work with the FWC on reasonable manatee regulations, and opposes a federal plan to create additional, unnecessary manatee zones. Substantial changes are achieved in the federal plan to maintain angler access in many areas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appoints a CCA Florida representative to the Steering Committee of the Florida Manatee Recovery Team.
- Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator of charities announces that CCA has earned its highest rating for its strong fiscal management.
- During the Legislative session, CCA works to maintain $600,000 in the FWC budget for Florida’s artificial reef program, and an additional $194,000 for low-profile, shallow water gag grouper reefs in the Big Bend Region.
- CCA exposes fraudulent techniques in a NMFS study to determine if surface trolling should be banned in deep water grouper protection areas in the northern Gulf. In a decision important to future attempts to ban recreational fishing access, trolling is allowed in areas where bottom fishing is closed. (See Seawatch articles: July 2003, October 2003)
- At CCA’s urging, the FWC adopts measures to further control illegal netting by defining transit laws and banning the use of “toy boats” to allow the use of an illegal number of nets. CCA also petitions the FWC to support felony penalties for major net ban violations. FWC Commissioners vote unanimously to seek stronger penalties in the 2004 legislature.
- Support continues for the Freedom to Fish Act in the U.S. Congress which seeks to insure sensible fishing policy rather than implementation of large-scale “no-fishing zones.”
- Habitat restoration programs plant more than 20,000 mangroves along the Indian River Lagoon and place 40 tons of oyster shells to create bars in Tampa Bay.
- A CCA-supported sargassum management plan passes after six years of deliberations by federal councils and NMFS.
- CCA intervenes to assist the FWC in a commercial lawsuit in the First District Court of Appeals that attempts to reintroduce 500-square-foot gill nets into state waters.
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| 2004 |
- With strong CCA Florida backing, a two-year effort is concluded with passage of a new law by the Florida legislature that increases the penalty for major net ban violations from a misdemeanor to a felony. A "flagrant violation" is created which is defined as a net with a mesh area larger than 2,000 sq. ft. or the use of a monofilament gill net. Major violators now face criminal penalties of up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine along with a mandatory civil penalty of $5,000 and a suspension of all saltwater licenses for 12 months. A second or subsequent violation includes a mandatory $5,000 civil penalty, a lifetime revocation of all saltwater licenses, and forfeiture of all gear and equipment used in the violation. (CCA Florida's Grassroots Legislative Updates for 2004)
- CCA Florida intervenes in a case before the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee that attempts to circumvent the net ban and bring gill nets back into state waters. The Court subsequently upholds a legal decision by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which asserted that a so-called "hybrid" commercial net was not legal.
- CCA Florida highlights research published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which indicates that no-fishing zones may not fulfill claims as replenishment zones. The scientists found that instead of replenishing adjacent areas, a no-fishing zone near the Kennedy Space Center actually pulled substantially higher numbers of fish from adjacent waters into the zone.
- CCA National intervenes in a lawsuit seeking to create total no-fishing zones in two grouper spawning preserves in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Filed by an environmental organization, the suit seeks to overthrow a compromise between the National Marine Fisheries Service and CCA, which allows surface trolling while protecting grouper stocks 200 to 400 feet below the surface.
- CCA Florida works with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and local rule review committees that allow boaters and anglers an opportunity to bring local knowledge into the process to insure that manatee zones protect manatees while allowing reasonable access for saltwater anglers.
- CCA supports successful passage of legislation which requires the FWC to use "measurable biological goals" when determining whether additional regulatory measures, such as speed zones, are necessary or warranted.
- In addition to passage of major netting legislation, CCA works in support of key elements of the FWC budget, including $600,000 in funding for Florida's Artificial Reef Program.
- CCA Florida successfully urges the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to establish stronger protection for large permit which constitute a valuable recreational fishery but are highly vulnerable when aggregating on wrecks in South Florida during fall and winter.
- CCA Florida representatives work with the Biscayne National Park Fishery Working Group to make specific recommendations and modifications on proposed no-entry and no-fishing zones in Biscayne Bay.
- The National Marine Fisheries Service finally adopts a management plan for protection of dolphin and wahoo. CCA National and other state chapters, including Florida, had worked on the plan for six years. Unfortunately, NMFS removed measures that would have prevented a commercial longline fishery--a 1,000-pound commercial trip limit off Georgia and Florida and a plan to create a limited entry fishery.
- CCA Florida opposes an effort by the FWC to formally establish a sea bass trap fishery in state waters.
- A Look Back at 2004 — a year of great challenges and great successes [Seawatch Article]
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| 2005 |
- Based on highly questionable data, NMFS enacts an interim rule reducing the combined bag limit of all Gulf grouper and closing the Gulf of Mexico to all recreational grouper fishing for November and December of 2005. Faced with the unnecessary regulations, CCA Florida files a lawsuit challenging the agency's authority to use an interim rule to close fishing for all species of grouper to protect red grouper. In a huge win for saltwater anglers and coastal fishing communities, the U.S. District Court rules that NMFS had acted "arbitrarily, capriciously, [and] in an abuse of discretion…in promulgating the Interim Rule…" The court victory re-opens the two-month closure and restores the aggregate bag limit, thus saving the season for thousands of recreational anglers along with hundreds of charter boat captains, marinas, fish camps, tackle stores, restaurants and other coastal businesses.
- CCA Florida turns back a plan by NMFS to issue permits to longline boats to fish in areas where the gear is banned to do "research" on reducing bycatch in longline gear. The Gulf Stream off of Florida's East coast and the DeSoto Canyon area off of the Florida Panhandle have been closed to commercial swordfish longlining for several years resulting in a dramatic recovery and increased abundance of sailfish, swordfish, dolphin and wahoo in these areas.
- CCA Florida stops legislation that would have impacted Florida's ten-year-old net ban by authorizing the use of 500-square-foot gill nets by allowing any mesh size to be used in the nets. A related attempt to put a constitutional amendment on the 2006 ballot to have the independent constitutional authority of the FWC removed is also stopped. (CCA Florida's Grassroots Legislative Updates for 2005)
- CCA files legal action petitioning the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to exercise his authority under federal law to stop the overfishing of Gulf red snapper by shrimp trawls. The damage caused by shrimping is so substantial that it makes the recovery of the red snapper fishery unlikely. Recovery goals to reduce the directed commercial and recreational take of red snapper have been achieved through size, bag and season limits; however, the trawl damage is undermining the recovery plan.
- Early in 2005, the FWC passes a rule that limits to two the number of large permit over 20 inches that may be possessed aboard a vessel. The effort behind the new regulations originated in 2003 when CCA Florida asked the FWC to examine the possibility of increasing protection for large permit. A valuable and prized saltwater gamefish, CCA was concerned about substantial numbers of large permit (15 to 30 at a time) being taken by head boats when the fish were aggregated over wrecks in South Florida in the fall and winter.
- Even though more than 200 square miles of no-fishing zones have been enacted around the Dry Tortugas National Park, another attempt is made to close another 46 square miles to all fishing--even catch and release. Although a joint federal/state management plan is approved, at CCA's urging the Florida Cabinet withholds approval of the fisheries plan until recommendations can be provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has exclusive authority over fishing in the area designated for closure.
- Year End Review - 2005 [Seawatch Article]
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1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
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State Office: P.O. Box 568886 • Orlando, FL 32856
Phone: (407) 854-7002 • Fax: (407) 854-1766
e-mail: Marcia Dunfee |
Advocacy Office: 905 East Park Avenue • Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 224-3474 • Fax: (850) 224-5199
e-mail: Amy Harllee |
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