Southern Charm Charters
Capt. Charles Walker
6240 105th Terrace North        Pinellas Park, FL 33782
Telephone: 727-546-7257
E-mail:
captchas@flfish.com
http://www.floridasaltwater.com



12/15/00

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
The Commons At Rivergate
3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000
Tampa, FL 33619-2266

Subject: Shrimp vessel and operator permitting

Dear Council Members,

Almost all commercial vessel operators are now required to be licensed by the USCG. All commercial fishing operators are required to hold usually several state and federal licenses and/or permits that can be sanctioned or revoked when laws are broken. Charter operators must carry many of these licenses as well.

I request that you require the commercial shrimp vessels and operators to carry licenses and/or permits that would allow placing the same restrictions on them as on other commercial operators, should they be caught outside the law.

Respectfully,

Capt. Charles Walker

 

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Southern Charm Charters
Capt. Charles Walker
6240 105th Terrace North Pinellas Park, FL 33782
Telephone: 727-546-7257
E-mail: captchas@flfish.com
http://www.floridasaltwater.com

12/15/00
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
The Commons At Rivergate
3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000
Tampa, FL 33619-2266

Subject: TAC for red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico

Dear Council Members,

For years the NMFS has avoided the issue of grouper depletion in the Gulf. The recreational size limits have been raised regularly and the bag limit reduced to five fish while the commercial quota has been raised regularly to its' now ridiculously high level. To my knowledge, the commercial quota has never been reached in the Gulf of Mexico. Undersized red grouper are caught, according to the longline industry spokesmen, by the millions of pounds each year and "thrown back" dead.

I request that you lower the commercial quota of red grouper Gulfwide by at least 10% below the best of the last five years' landings in order to allow the grouper stocks to hopefully begin rebuilding. It would also in the best interest of the red grouper stocks if you required all red grouper to be landed, regardless of size, rather than be killed and not utilized in the market.

Respectfully,

Capt. Charles Walker