Federal officials say they were forced to shut down the fishery because recreational anglers exceeded a quota established last year, but at least one major sportfishing group has challenged that claim.

“The National Marine Fisheries Service continued its bizarre history of biased management regarding Gulf amberjack when it announced this week that the recreational season for the popular offshore species will close…” began a press release form the Texas-based Coastal Conservation Association. “This announcement comes barely two years after the arbitrarily shifted a significant portion of recreational allocation to the commercial sector.”

The CCA’s release said the feds should be looking at the commercial, not recreational sector. “If the Council had left the allocation where it was in 2007…recreational anglers would not have been over their quota,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant.

 For more information, click here.

The Florida Chapter of the CCA led the fight to ban inshore netting in Florida waters and has a strong following among recreational anglers. The lawsuit, filed this week in Ft. Myers, challenges Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan, which the CCA contends gives the bulk of the Gulf’s grouper fishery to the commercial industry.

 “CCA has stated from the beginning that this management action is fundamentally flawed,” Chester Brewer, chairman of the CCA National Government Relations Committee, said in a press release.  “In moving forward with Amendment 29, the federal government has disregarded multiple provisions in the Magnuson Stevens Act designed to govern the impacts of such action on other participants in the fishery. The only ones considered in this amendment are the commercial fishermen.”

The new rules would divvy up this public resource among a select group of fishermen based on previous catch history. The CCA has long contended that the recreational sector should have greater access to grouper stocks.

To see a copy of the official comments the CCA submitted to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in June, visit the Catch Share section of the CCA Newsroom at http://www.joincca.org/.

 Powerboat enthusiasts have been experimenting with Army surplus engines since the mid-1970s. But it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that turbines gained widespread acceptance. These engines are more powerful, and some believe, more relaible than piston engines.

Miss Geico, a 50-foot Mystic that was built in Florida, can hit speeds in excess of 200 mph. “That is unheard of in offshore racing,” said driver Marc Granet of St. Pete Beach. “In many of the other classes, guys go through engines every other race. That is costly in both time and money. If your boat is in the shop all the time, you can’t be out on the water testing.”

Organizers are billing this as a family-friendly speed fest, with food, entertainment and free fans access to the dry pits all weekends. For more information, click here.  

Then, with a lure known as a Creek Chub Wiggle Fish, Perry hooked a bass that would break the world record of 20 pounds, 2 ounces. The farmer took the fish into town and had it weighed at the post office. It tipped the certified scale at 22 pounds, 4 ounces. Perry then went home, and cooked his catch, which netted him $75 worth of merchandise in a Field and Stream contest.

Manabu Kurita, however, had his eye set on breaking Perry’s 77-year-old record.  On July 2, the Japanese angler hooked a monster in Lake Biwa northeast of Kyoto. Details of Kuria’s catch were subsequently submitted to the Dania Beach International Game Fish Association for consideration.

 The fish, which measured more than 27 inches long and had a girth of nearly the same size, is currently under consideration. But if approved, it will only tie Perry’s record. Could an even bigger fish be lurking in some Florida lake?

The sea monster turned out to be a 19-foot-long giant squid. Only once before - off the Mississippi coast in 1954 - had one of these creatures been spotted in the gulf. The researches were studying the availability and diversity of sperm whale prey.

The creature, which weighed 103 pounds, was preserved and sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. for further study.

"This is an incredibly rare find in the Gulf of Mexico," said Dr. Michael Vecchione, director of the Fisheries Service’s National Systemics Laboratory.  "Giant squid have been found more commonly in areas of the world where there are deep-water fisheries, such as Spain and New Zealand, but this is the first time one has actually been captured during scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico."

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, more than 70 of these endangered animals have died so far this year as the result of boat strikes.

Boaters should post a lookout and obey all manatee slow speed and no wake zones. Manatees are particularly active this time of year and can be found from inland rivers to the open ocean. So stick to marked channels and wear polarized sunglasses to help improve your visibility.

You can often tell if a manatee has been in the area by looking for the telltale whirlpools or swirls left by their flukes, or tails. Feeding manatees will also stir up patches of muddy water.

But even non-boaters can help protect these animals by buying a manatee license plate. Money from the sale of these plates goes directly to manatee research and protection.

If you see a hurt or injured manatee, call 888-404-FWCC (3922). To learn more about manatees, click here.

Charles D. Sheppard, 50, was snorkeling southwest of Rocky Creek when the accident occurred, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The incident is still under investigation. Sheppard is the 23rd diver or snorkeler to be killed in Florida waters in the past five years.

Some of these deaths may have been prevented if the boat operator had a lookout on board. That is why the FWC is asking boaters and divers to remember the following:

The law requires that a vessel display a divers-down flag, which is red with a white diagonal stripe, whenever divers or snorkelers are in the water The flag must be at least 20 by 24 inches if displayed on a boat; at least 12 by 12 inches if towed on a float by the diver or snorkeler.

In open waters, vessels must make an effort to stay 300 feet from a divers-down flag.  In a river, channel or inlet the distance is 100 feet.  Vessels may operate within those distances, but at idle speed.

Terry Tomalin

This “bug” catching frenzy, which occurs every year on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July, is designed to give recreational lobster hunters a chance to gather some of these tasty crustaceans before the commercial traps go in the water.

The regular lobster season begins Aug. 6 and runs through the end of March.

State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force for the two-day mini season. So be sure to follow all rules and regulations.

For the record, Florida spiny lobsters must have a carapace (body) length 3 inches or longer. Divers must carry a measuring tool. Lobsters must be measured in the water.

Bug hunters may keep up six lobsters per person daily in the waters of Monroe County and Biscayne National Park and 12 lobsters per person daily in other Florida waters. You may not possess more than the daily bag limit of lobsters when on the water. Off the water, you may possess the daily bag limit on the first day and double the daily bag limit on the second day.

Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that William Moraga, a 71-year-old from Freeport, was thrown from the vessel. He was not wearing a personal flotation device.
Two passengers in the boat, Moraga’s 15-year-old granddaughter and a 73-year-old friend, were both injured in the accident. Neither was wearing a PFD.

According to the FWC, in an average year, roughly 80 percent of all boating-related deaths could be avoided if victims wore life jackets.

So before you head out on the water, make sure your PFDs are readily accessible. The only way to truly guarantee safety is to wear a PFD any time you are underway. Once you are in the water, a PFD is more difficult to put on. In most fatal accidents, boaters had PFDs on board, but they were not in use or were not within easy reach.

Make sure the PFD is the proper size for the person wearing it. Check the label before buying. It will give you a weight and chest size. This is especially important when it comes to children. To ensure a snug fit, pick the child up by the shoulders of the PFD. If you can still see the chin and ears, it fits.

Make sure your PFDs are maintained and in good condition. You can test the PFD's buoyancy in a swimming pool. Over time, the sun may break down the synthetic material in a PFD. Look for rips, tears, weak straps or zippers.