TBRPC to address Shrimp Trawls

[sfurman]

We were notified that the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Committee is planning on addressing the issue of possibly allowing shrimp trawl permits to be passed along either by sale or transfer instead of being phased out as was originally agreed upon by the MFC and the shrimpers back in the early 1990’s. There are only a few (4, I think) that still remain and they want to be able to transfer their permits to someone else.

Please contact the planning council using e-mail if you cannot attend the meeting. We got really short notice on this and I believe the agenda will be on the web site today, the meeting is scheduled for April 12th, I think. Thanks.

Here is CCA’s comments and recommendations;

CCA FLORIDA
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SHRIMPING IN TAMPA BAY
1.RECOMMENDATION – CCA Florida strongly opposes the transferability of food shrimping permits in Tampa Bay. Those remaining permits should have been phased out years ago, as was planned, by the Marine Fisheries Commission. Otter trawls and other net gear for food shrimping are some of the most damaging and wasteful types of commercial gear.

2.COMMENTS - In the early 1990’s, the number of food shrimpers had grown substantially. Anglers and other conservationists had become concerned about the damage to sea grasses and the by-kill damage to juvenile fish. When the issue was brought before the MFC, the Commissioners were also concerned about the damage caused by the shrimpers. The MFC reached a compromise with the Tampa Bay shrimpers that the existing food shrimpers would be required to get a permit and when the shrimper decided to stop shrimping the permit would expire.

Discussions with previous MFC staff and the MFC Chairman at the time clearly indicate the program was a phase out program for food shrimping in Tampa Bay. The rules and the Legislation passed to implement the program also indicate a phase out. The MFC Chairman stated that it was intended to allow the commercial fisher to “shrimp until you’re out”.

The staff recommendation will prevent the phase out of food shrimping in the bay. Allowing transfer of permits, and likely sale, will make it difficult to remove the food shrimpers and their damaging gear. Those who pay to get in will fight, and sue, to prevent ending the program. In addition there will be more shrimpers who will demand to be included in the program.

The MFC made a clear distinction between food shrimping and bait shrimping. Bait shrimp fishers do not have the same impact on the environment as food shrimpers because of the gear used and their method of fishing. Photos and videos of the two types of shrimping vividly illustrate the difference. Bait shrimping is done with roller trawls which roll across the shallow waters and grass beds. The nets are frequently emptied into live wells on the boat deck and sorted out. The bait shrimpers want live shrimp so the live wells are aerated and the catch is carefully separated with the shrimp placed in another live well and the finfish by catch released alive over the side. In addition the bait shrimpers only fish until they reach the number of live shrimp that they need for their local contracts, not for the total food market.

The remaining food shrimpers have had 20 years to amortize their original investments. They have had exclusive commercial access to that public resource over that time period. It is time to get all the food shrimpers out of Tampa Bay.

Prepared by CCA Florida Advocacy Staff


Planning council member Suzanne Cooper info;
Suzanne Cooper's contact information is 727-570-5151, ext. 32, or [email protected].

Sample letter;

Dear Council Member Cooper,

I am a recreational fisherman and a lifelong resident of Tampa Bay. I have see the fishing in Tampa Bay go from pitiful to fantastic and the reason why is largely because of the efforts of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the net limitation amendment that was passed by an overwhelming majority of voters back in 1994. We cannot return to the days of dozens of shrimp trawlers dragging the bay on a nightly basis collecting up everything in their path.

The MFC made a deal with the shrimpers to eventually phase out shrimping and now the shrimpers what to renege on the deal. This is simply unacceptable. Please do not consider allowing the shrimp permits to be passed along to others either by sale or transfer. Please allow the shrimping permits to expire and be phased out as was originally intended back in the early 1990’s.

Thank You,

[OzelloShrimper]

I wholeheartedly agree with the CCA in this initiative and encourage others to do so as well.

Thanks CCA.

[backinthemangle]

Amen, and any of us who are on this forum but normally fish *outside* the Tampa Bay
area need to get on board with this one, too. That's a BIG ol' bay, and it's a nursery
that, long-term, affects recreational fishing over a HUGE area.

Folks, it only takes a few minutes to email your government officials and LET THEM KNOW.
And it's the only way they REALLY know that you --- personally --- DO give a hoot. Email,
write, phone, send letters to the editors of your local papers, post on forums, call your
representatives, bring up the subject at the ramps and in the tackle shops, SOUND OFF.

"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing." Git to typin', boys!

[OzelloShrimper]

The proposed draft rule PDF is available online--

As you can read UNLESS we make our voices heard they WILL ALLOW THE TRANSFER OR SALE of these permits.
Thanks Again!!

http://myfwc.com/media/1780752/10B2_Shr ... tation.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Let's stop this!

[sfurman]

Just got off the phone with Suzanne and here is a link to the meeting agenda, some good stuff there. They understand the trials and tribulations of shrimp trawling in the estuary and they want to hear from all of you so please be nice and send her an e-mail letting her know that you support CCA’s position on this. We can’t let this go back to the way it was and it could potentially happen once you set a president. Let your friends know too. Thanks fellow fishermen.


http://www.tbrpc.org/abm/abmagendas/201 ... Notice.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DIRECTIONS TO THE
TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL OFFICES


From I-275, take Exit #28 (Pinellas Park/FL 694/Gandy Blvd.) west, towards Pinellas Park. Take U.S. 19 North (towards Clearwater). Turn right (east) onto Gateway Centre Blvd., which is just past the Autoway Toyota dealership. Turn right onto 40th Street. The building is on the right-hand side at this corner.
OR
From I-275, take Exit #28 (Pinellas Park/FL 694/Gandy Blvd.) west, towards Pinellas Park. Turn right at the first traffic light (Grand Ave.). Turn left at the first stop sign (Gateway Parkway), and then left at the first opportunity (Gateway Centre Blvd.). Proceed to the first intersection (40th Street) and turn left. Turn right into the TBRPC parking lot.


From US 19, turn east onto Gateway Centre Blvd., which is just north of the Autoway Toyota dealership and just south of the Heritage House furniture store. The building is the first one on the right-hand side of Gateway Centre Blvd. Turn right onto 40th Street, then right into the parking lot.


Phone number: 727-570-5151 x 10
Address: 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Suite 100
Pinellas Park, FL 33782

[sfurman]

There were about 40 people at the meeting and Suzanne received about 80 e-mails all were against the shrimpers request to allow the transfer of permits. Seems the people of Tampa Bay have spoken and they want shrimp trawling to go away from Tampa Bay, for now anyway. The FWC has the final word but, I understand that they were going to weigh their decision heavily on the outcome of this meeting. Thanks to all that e-mailed and attended the meeting. We can’t do it without your help.

Suzanne said she was especially pleased with the quality of the e-mails that were sent. Thanks again all!

[sfurman]

E-mail I received from Don,



All,



Ted and I attended the Agency on Bay Management meeting yesterday to be heard on the Shrimping in Tampa Bay issue being presented by the FWC. This was Item #4 on the agenda, so it was the first order of business after calling the meeting to order and announcements, etc. Aaron Podey, Biological Administrator for the FWC, presented the case for amending the existing rule to allow for the transfer or sale of the remaining permits. This came about from a phone call from one of the four existing permit holders. We found out after the agency voted who it was that approached the FWC asking for the change. More on that later.



Mr. Podey announced before he started his presentation that they had made a change in the presentation he was presenting today from the information that was sent out prior to the meeting. The initial information included a draft rule that recommended the approval of the change and for it to be implemented effective May 1, 2012 WITHOUT FURTHER HEARINGS PLANNED PRIOR TO ADOPTION . This was pulled from the presentation. There was enough pressure from the stakeholders for FWC to pull this recommendation.



Several of the members of the Agency spoke in opposition to the rule as well as, Capt. Pat Kelly and Capt. Dave Markett from the FGA, Ted Forsgren and others in the audience. No one of the roughly 40 people in attendance spoke in support of the proposed change. The vote was unanimous for the Agency of Bay Management to send a letter to the FWC opposing any change to the current rule and to request the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council to also send a letter opposing the change. The consensus of opinion from everyone present in the meeting at that time was the Bay is in much better shape than it was 20 years ago, that getting rid of the shrimp trawls in the bay were one of many changes that improved the Bay quality and it did not make any sense to change that now. I thought Jan Platt made another excellent point that I don’t think FWC considered and that was that if the rule is changed now, then the FWC would open themselves up for possible lawsuits from the 30 or so permit holders who followed the rules and let their permits sunset.



We were on the next Agenda item when Helen Richards arrived at the meeting and wanted to speak on the shrimping issue. After some discussion it was agreed to allow her to speak after the regular agenda items were completed. Ms. Richards is the one who approached the FWC about the rule change. She and her husband at one time owned the Seabreeze Restaurant on the Causeway and ran several shrimp boats in the bay. Her husband passed away about a month ago, so she wanted the rule changed so she could sell or transfer his permit. After presenting her argument for the change, none of the Agency members were in favor of reopening the discussion or changing the recommendation opposing any changes to the existing rule.



Council Member Suzanne Cooper read into the record that she had received 84 emails in opposition to the rule change and none in favor of it. She was very complimentary that the emails were very well written and to the point. She had sent copies of the emails to the FWC as well and I am sure that was a major reason their approval of the change was pulled.



We will need to monitor the FWC to make sure that this issue is put to bed for good.



Thanks,



Don Roberts, CCIM, SIOR

CCA Florida Habitat Restoration

[backinthemangle]

I thought Jan Platt made another excellent point.....

Whippin' the lawyer card on 'em was the kill shot. What a dame! What a past!

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article994805.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lady, I'll buy you a cold one or a mug of premium joe, your choice, ANY time!