We want to thank everyone who has voiced there opinion on the proposed shark bans.We need to stay active and let our voices be heard or sport fishing will continue to be degraded .ALL FISHERMAN IN FLORIDA are under attack not just the shark fisherman or those fishing from shore ,everyone who fishes from Florida is having to deal with more restrictive laws constantly enacted and enforced throughout the state.The only way to change the tide of over regulation is to UNITE and become more active to protect our fishing rights.Every single person who enjoys fishing in Florida needs to write to the law makers and FWC in charge of reviewing new proposed laws and letting them know how much we enjoy our sport and that the laws being proposed need to be more sensible and less restrictive and based on solid data based science.Let them know what fishing in this state means to you and how all these regulations are affecting you and your family.Let them know the amount of money you spend in this state while fishing.
Send emails to: Commissioners@MyFWC.com
Send mail-in comments to:
Kathleen Hampton
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
We at the SFSC know sharks need to be protected and we encourage everyone to safely release tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks back into the wild but one of our primary concerns is the erosion of big game fishing in Florida as more species are BANNED.Any species that is put on the 'no take' list cannot be claimed for a World Record from Florida waters .Soon all the big fish we once were able to target will forever be put out of reach of anglers.These lawmakers believe everything the over zealous scientist whisper in there ears so they gladly pass unjust laws that are forever changing the face of our sport.
With these Complete Bans imposed, soon there will be nothing left we can take from the ocean.We don't want the needless killing of any shark but I as a BIG GAME HUNTER am personally of the opinion that a person targetting a world record should be able to do it in a state that has always had the reputation of being"Fishing Capital of the world".Restrictions imposed on fisherman should be based on sensible scientific research and align with the well being of the masses.
Once the Tiger and Hammerhead are put on the no take list we will never get them back.For example look at the goliath grouper(jewfish)since 1989 they have been banned and they are everywhere and a nuisance to wreck and bridge fisherman both on the east coast and west coast of Florida.Even though the anglers have made FWC aware of the incredible abundance of Goliath grouper throughout Florida they have not been taken off the PROTECTED LIST, and may never be taken off.It is very important to point out how quickly FWC takes away from the anglers but is unwilling to give back or loosen restrictions.This is why it is so important that we voice our strong objections to these BANS that will forever change sport fishing in Florida.
One suggestion would be to set a one per person limit on anyone wanting to harvest a tiger or hammerhead shark and a $50 tag would have to be bought to harvest one,, the proceeds of which should go to shark research and conservation.
There are more intelligent ways of approaching this scenario and our hopes are that those in charge of reviewing these laws TRULY consider all opinions,that they consider the impact on the image of fishing in Florida and how it is being eroded one BAN at a time.
Thank you all for your concerns, we certainly hope that we can all work together and that our unity will make a difference so that these law makers can be sensible with the future of fishing in Florida.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger