Below you'll find a letter addressed to Dr. William Hogarth, Director of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Please take a minute to read the letter. Unfortunately sometimes we need to make much noise in order to be treated fairly. For some, fishing is for recreation; however for others it is our livlihood.
Please fight for your rights as an angler, an American angler! The issue addressed below pertains to the Gulf of Mexico, but these regulations effect us all. Faulty science effects us all, please read below.
March 23, 2007
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Dr. William Hogarth, Director NOAA Fisheries
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Dear Dr. Bill Hogarth,
This letter is being written with complete outrage that Dr. Roy Crabtree has not been removed from his position as the Southeast Regional Director NMFS; as well as the rest of the NMFS Gulf Council. It is clear that Dr. Crabtree along with the NMFS Gulf Council has been lying to the entire Recreational/Commercial fishing community for years. This letter serves as a request for their resignations.
The Recreational and Commercial fishing communities have been lied to for years by the NMFS that Red Grouper have been over fished. We are now being told by the same body that this is indeed not the case at all and that in actuality it is the Gag Grouper that have been over fished; the end result being a closed season for both. This is inexcusable.
During the Gulf of Mexico Grouper Forum 2007, held on February 27, 28 of this year, we were informed that the findings regarding the Red Grouper population being over fished are grossly inaccurate; this species has not been over fished since at least the year 1999. If the best available science is truly being instituted in these decisions, how can we possibly have such contradicting information in the space of only one year and be expected to believe it? It is clear that the Gulf Council, as well as those at the NMFS have their own agendas without regard to the economic impact on the livelihoods of all involved in the fishing community.
It is a fact that the NMFS is required by law to take the economical impact of any regulations into consideration, this has not been done. Dr. Roy Crabtree and other Gulf Council members need to be held accountable for the unnecessary economical hardships endured by businesses, loss of jobs, and bankruptcies in the fishing and related industries. The fact is that BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in the state of Florida have been lost due to the incompetence of Dr. Roy Crabtree and the Gulf Council.
We are hereby calling for the immediate removal of Dr. Roy Crabtree and the NMFS Gulf Council; they MUST be held accountable for their actions!
We request that they be replaced with competent people ASAP. In addition, recreational bag limits should be increased to where they were in July 2005; and the one month Grouper season closure for Recreational and Commercial fishermen be removed.
With Respect,
Capt. Paul G. Forsberg
Owner/Operator Viking Fleet
Member of the Board of Directors, United Boatmen of New York
Current holder of two large multi-passenger party boat licenses in the Gulf of Mexico
Current holder of two commercial reef fishing permits
Capt. Richard J. Castellano
Owner/Operator Gulf Star Ventures, LLC.
Owner/Operator Fishbone Fishing Consultants
Capt. George Lontakos
Captain/Tackle Engineer, Vikings of Tarpon Springs
Capt. Arlen Leiner
Current holder of gulf reef permit
Charter Boat Owner
CC: Mr. Samuel D. Rauch, NOAA
Dr. Steven Murawski, NOAA
Dr. James Balsiger, NOAA
Mr. Alan Risenhoover, NOAA
Mr. Alex Chester, NOAA
Dr. Roy Crabtree, NOAA
NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Reg. Office
Mr. William Daughdrill, Gulf Council
Mr. Robert Gill, Gulf Council
Ms. Julie Morris, Gulf Council
Mr. Robert Shipp, Gulf Council
Ms. Bobbi Walker, Gulf Council
Mr. Philip Horn, Gulf Council
Mr. Thomas McIlwain, Gulf Council
Mr. Harlon Pearce, Gulf Council
Ms. Susan Villere, Gulf Council
Mr. Degraaf Adams, Gulf Council
Mr. Joseph Hendrix, Jr., Gulf Council
Mr. William Teehan, Gulf Council, FWC
Mr. R. Vernon Minton, Gulf Council, Alabama Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources
Mr. Corky Perret, Gulf Council, Dept. of Marine Resources, Biloxi MS
Ms. Karen Foote, Gulf Council, Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries
Robin Riechers, Gulf Council, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.
Mayor Beverly Billiris, Tarpon Springs, FL
Senator Bill Nelson, Washington DC
Senator Mel Martinez, Washington DC
Congressman Bilirakis, Washington DC
FL State Representative Peter Nehr, Washington DC
Governor Charlie Crist, Tallahassee, FL
Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Tallahassee, FL
St. Petersburg Times, Editor
Tampa Tribune, Editor
Miami Herald, Editor
Florida Press Association
Orlando Sentinel, Editor
Local Angler Magazine, Seminole, FL
Saltwater Angler Magazine, Tampa, FL
Onshore – Offshore Magazine, St. Petersburg, FL
Florida Sportsman Magazine, Stewart, FL
National Fisherman, Portland, ME
