Laserfiche WebLink
you come in where the old road went across, you have another very <br />narrow channel, and under the railroad trestle, you have another <br />one. If you slowed up just for those 2 areas, and the rest of <br />the area between the U.S.I. bridge and the railroad trestle, you <br />wouldn't use up more than about 5 minutes each way, and he felt <br />that is a small price to pay to save a manatee. Mr. Carley spoke <br />in favor of exempting commercial fishermen because of their <br />knowledge of the river and where and when the manatees are on it. <br />Tim Adams, 426 SW Maple Street, Sebastian, commercial <br />fisherman, felt it is of the utmost important that the commercial <br />fishermen do get some form of an exemption. What is being <br />proposed will impact them tremendously, and when you get shore- <br />line buffers such as are being proposed, it hits them right in <br />the heart. Some fisheries will be able to continue and probably <br />not need an exemption; however, in the south end of the county <br />with all slow speed, every aspect of the commercial fishing <br />industry that does any kind of river fishing will be impacted. <br />He advised that they have worked closely with the DNR on this and <br />are trying to get the exemptions worked out to a point where <br />possibly 20 mph would be the maximum and no exemptions on the <br />weekends. Mr. Adams stressed that the commercial fishermen <br />understand there are critical areas where they will not get <br />exemptions, and basically they just want a type of exemption that <br />will allow them to continue their business and afford protection <br />to the manatees and boating safety as well. <br />Commissioner Bird believed that commercial fishermen are <br />issued a license, and Mr. Adams explained that basically what <br />they have is a salt water products license and to get that you <br />have to prove annually that your livelihood derives from commer- <br />cial fishing. The DNR now has an exemption in place for the <br />Banana River. You have to fill out a form and file it, and it <br />then is up to the DNR to determine whether or not it is a bona <br />fide hardship and you absolutely need that exemption. <br />MAY 8 WO 39 Nor 8 `.�N� <br />