My name is Haley, I am the owner of the digital  magazine & social media movement known as Ponce Fish Network, which is a news source and live feed into the Ponce Inlet areas charter fishing industry. I currently have over 20 charters on my roster, of which several have been in business for over 25 years. I am also a writer at Southern States Fishn' & Huntn' Magazine, a publication that's has kept detailed records over the last 60 years of the charter & fishing industry here in Ponce. Today I will be commenting on several agenda items.

Headboat History & Bag Limits:

Part of my work with Southern States includes taking the old pictures of catches, separating them by vessel, and digitalizing them for current archive records. The stark difference between the number of headboats in the 50s, 60s, and 70s to current day is jaw dropping. It seems that back then most boats were high occupancy, regulations came in that hindered their ability to catch what was needed to keep the businesses going, and eventually Captains opted to go the 6 pack route due to less expenses, oversight, etc. Part of the reason why I started Ponce Fish Network was watching the Critter Fleet/F.V. Super Critter close its doors during the pandemic. The mismanagement of our local red snapper fishery, coupled with the inadequate bag limits compared to angler counts, and the unnecessary closure of the business during the Covid shutdown created a fate that can not be fixed by changing a rule now. With my work, I know very well that this is a sentiment that has likely be felt more often than not over the last few of decades, and that over regulation and unfair bag limits have slowly killed off an entire industry. I heard a statement from a previous meeting, in which a commenter called this a 'head boat rescue', and while I want to agree with that.. I feel a more adequate statement would be that this is a 'head boat bailout', which is directly needed because of the prison you have created around the industry that started it all. I fully support higher and more balanced bag limits on headboats based on occupancy, after all they are the only vessels available to you that can help you acquire the data needed to make wiser decisions in fishery management in the recreational sector, and they have never wavered in their obligations to report to you even though you have historically failed them.

Limited Access:

Part of the vetting system that I created with my Captains in Ponce Fish Network is a mandatory showing of any and all credentials needed to operate a fishing charter in order to join. While my Captains and I would have to agree that the industry has exploded in recent years, with high numbers of new charter companies, as well as high numbers of pop up illegal charters- I can assure you that the limited access program is the wrong direction to go in, and would only punish the hard working fisherman that have struggled as you have mismanaged their fisheries and almost put them out of business in doing so. In a perfect world this program would probably work, however given the recent tides of fishery management and it's past failures, coupled with the already struggling industry desperately trying to keep its head above water, this program would certainly be fatal. You have already created an environment that no longer has positive hopes for the future, allowing this program to start would not only add insult to injury, but it would have devastating consequences to the businesses and fishermen who have patiently waited for the past 20 years to have a chance to thrive. Much like the 'head start' and 'no child left behind' debacle, much of the problems that exist today begin and end at the same place, and that is on your desk, not in our waters.

Red Snapper Mismanagement:

One of the charter companies in my network is an offshoot of an older company that stood at Capitol Hill fighting the red snapper closure in 2011. Despite his concise arguments and evidence, nothing was done. It's now 12 years later, the population of red snapper has further exploded to the point of no return, and yet we have to hold our breath yearly in the hopes that this council will finally see the light of day, and climb out from the rock they've been living under. Gone are the days of catching a Black Sea bass, but yet not a single regulation in sight to protect a species that truly needs it.  The strain that you place on our inlets, boat ramps, police, FWC & Coast Guard during these mini seasons is an absolute horror show for the hardworking fishermen who spend every day on the water, and a supreme waste of resources and taxpayer dollars. It creates such havoc and chaos, with hundreds of vessels piling onto each rock, it's a wonder that there hasn't been any extreme problems/losses because of it. Last year I watched as not one but two vessels had to come back in at day break because they were taking on water, one being assisted by the Coast Guard. By limiting anglers to 2 days you literally create a panic run, causing so many people who should not be on the water to stampede it in the hopes of managing our local fishery better than you have. Make no mistake, more than half of my Captains sit red snapper season out, while the other half go out in obligation to clear the red plague that has destroyed our fishery in the last 10 years. I'm told that we have to wait til 2026 to see change, and that makes me so worried for our future. By 2026 there will be nothing left, and you will probably close more complexes as you have grouper, all because of bad data and an inability to admit when you are out of your element. Despite all the funding and research, it's clear to the world you can not honestly count all the fish in the sea.

Shark/Goliath Grouper Depredation:

When the red snapper isn't ruining the day, it's the protected pet sharks and Goliath grouper. Both continue to eat everything off of every rock and hook they see, while you cater to the 3.5 million divers in Florida yearly, and ignore the screams of the 6 million anglers, Captains and commercial fishermen who are begging for change. The removal of commercial finning has killed an entire industry that has historically helped keep the shark population at reasonable levels, just another causality of an in-house war that doesn't seem know what sides it's on.

Bottom Closure:
When I look at the industry that surrounds me with a magnifying glass, a stark realization comes to mind. As regulations continue to put high occupancy vessels with valid and strict COI's out of business, it seems clear that the National Marine Fishery service would rather create fish stock numbers than receive actual numbers. A total bottom closure would be the last nail in the coffin for the headboat and charter fishing industry - an industry that has patiently waited for years for their livelihoods to be restored to what they once were. Surely your only means of gaining real data exists only with trained professionals who are held to the highest standards, a number that continues to dwindle at your hands. A total bottom closure is the opposite direction of what needs to happen, which seems fitting given the course things have gone over the last 50 years. It would put countless individuals out of work and out of business and deprive so many families of the opportunities that are a culture in our state. Most of these fisherman and commercial fisherman are multi-generational and it has and continues to be an attack on a true way of life- that threatens the extinction of a culture so deeply engrained in our society here in Florida.

Besides that, the whole premise of the entire thing is borderline laughable. For years you have heard complaints that the red snapper fishery off the Northeast coast of Florida has not only rebounded, but has exploded to the point of no return. The sentiment that we have to shut down all bottom fishing to AVOID catching red snapper says all that needs to be said. The stock has been rebuilt, and it has been rebuilt to the point that its not a rare occurrence to catch a keeper inside the 3 mile state/federal line, with fish even occasionally being caught inside the intracoastal waterway. While you have allowed red snapper to control the reefs, the damage has and continues to get worse with other species. Black sea bass, a catch that was pretty common 10 years ago in our area, is virtually non-existent now. How many more species will you allow to suffer while you openly allow one species to wreak havoc on the Atlantic?


In closing, when I came into this industry 5 years ago, I fell in love with it and was idealistic in my opinions of its state and future. Nowadays I realize that despite being in the land of the free, we are simply at your disposal. I am not alone when I say that you have forgotten the people, while you try to play god with the fish.

Thank you for your time.