Gov. Charlie Crist in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke requested that the Florida Panhandle be declared a “commercial fishery failure” under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.  In his June 2nd letter, Crist pointed out that while Florida has been spared the direct impact of oil on the coast line so far, given the closure of significant portions of commercial fishing grounds on account of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, there was already “severe and immediate economic impact” on Florida’s grouper fleet and the commercial fishing industry in general.
“The impacts go beyond what our commercial fishermen are experiencing”, Crist said. “Mainly due to the misperceptions and misinformation about the extent
and impact of the spill, Florida’s charter fishing fleet, for-hire guides, and related fishery infrastructure are also suffering.”
While Crist’s letter notes that the state intends to hold BP fully accountable for the devastating spill, it urges the Secretary to provide support for the fishing industry and related communities.
If it is determined that there is a “commercial fishery failure” in Florida’s Panhandle, the Secretary is authorized to make funds available for restoring fisheries and assisting affected communities.
