Florida Senator Bill Nelson has called for a congressional review of the federal government’s new restrictions on commercial, recreational and charter fishing in Florida and other coastal states.
In recent months, the federal government has closed off huge areas of Florida coastal waters to fishing for several kinds of fish including red snapper, grouper and amberjack. Regulators say that’s because the areas are overfished.
On Tuesday, Nelson requested that the Senate Commerce Committee examine the ban on red-snapper fishing and fisheries closures in Florida. He also asked for a determination of whether federal officials are using reliable data to support the tough fishing restrictions.
Fishermen contend federal fisheries managers are using outdated or incomplete data to make the decisions.
Senator Nelson also said the panel should examine whether economic aid could be provided to communities hardest hit by the fishing bans. Nelson also said he intends to file legislation soon to address red-snapper restrictions in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
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