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