wrote in message
oups.com...
Many of my neighbors are small commercial fishermen who were driven out
of business by the so called "Net ban Amendment" that was promulgated
by so-called "Sport Fishermen" The amendment to the FL constitution is
written so badly that it is very difficult to decide if some nets are
legal so that the Marine Patrol simply enforces it against those people
they do not like. The situation became so tense here in N. Fl that a
few yrs ago the Marine patrol refused to rescue some commercial
fishermen on a small boat off Alligator Point. The Marine Patrol says
they never heard the distress call although they were less than 10
miles away on the water writing a net ban ticket at the time. Instead,
the Coast Guard station at Yankeetown 90 miles away did get it and
relayed it to the marine Patrol who refused to act on it for hours.
Later, the Marine Patrol sai9d the wearher was too rough for them to
search in spite of them having a 60' vessel at Carabelle 15 miles away.
Finally, other fishermen decided to search since the Marine Patrol
refused but by this time the vessel had sunk killing two. It is widely
believed in these parts that the Marine Patrol intentionally allowed
these men to die to punish the local fishermen for their opposition to
the net ban.
Meanwhile, it has been found that it is the so-called "Sport Fishermen"
with their mega expensive boats that are depleting grouper stocks

Commercial fishermen account for 81% of the yearly take of grouper stocks.
Despite this fact, they have successfully lobbied the Feds to enact
unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on recreational angling for
grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. Here's a few discussion forum threads to get
you up to speed:

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=407728

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=423359

And here's a good synopsis:

"You are almost correct, the recreational sector is allowed 19% 1.25 million
lbs and the Commercial sector is allowed 81% 5.5 million lbs.

Yet the economic impact of commercial may be 800 million and te economic
impact of recreational is 5 billion, thats right boys 5 BILLION with a "B"."


I suggest you get your facts from a more reliable source, instead of
talking to commercial drunkards who make up stories about the Marine Patrol
intentionally letting commercial fishermen drown.