3/2/1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MAR Z 1983 t PA[E 889 health, at the last meeting when decisions were made to compromise. Commissioner Lyons explained that at that meeting he took that stand that his interest was in conservation, as far as resources were concerned, and that he would back netting that could be scientifically proved as the way to go. He added that since that time there has been consider- able discussion with the commercial fishermen, with our legislative representative and with the Harbor Branch ichthyologist, and taking all these things into consider- ation, it doesn't look as if we could get enough support to ban net fishing in the river. We don't have the power as a County to do it - it would have to come thrugh the State. Commissioner Lyons believed there is a real•question as to whether or not net fishing is as harmful as we originally thought, as long as it is carried out responsibly; and be felt the best compromise that we could get between the commercial fishermen, our legislature and the expert from Harbor Branch Foundation is to get some responsibility as far as net fishing is concerned, which is why we have taken the position that we would back a license for net fishermen. He added that a paramount concern is the protection of the grass beds. Mr. Eagen continued to argue that netting hurts the sport fishermen, noting that it has been established by the State of Massachusetts that the more people there are netting fish in the ocean, the lower the fish population becomes. He believed that there are probably more people who fish in the Indian River than people who use the beaches in the County, and restated the Angler's Club opposition to a licensing fee for gill netters. Coates Bull, also from the Angler's Club, asked if anything more had been done in regard to installing warning signs banning traffic in the grass flats. He added that if 35