Reported By Greg Pallone and Nick VinZant
CAPE CANAVERAL -- Could red snapper soon be off the menu for Central Florida anglers?
The federal government wants to stop overfishing of red snapper by cutting the total annual kill by 88 percent.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council scheduled a series of public hearings on the proposed ban across its district, which spans from Key West to North Carolina. The latest hearing was Wednesday in Brevard County.
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» Info on the Hearings and Proposed Amendments
Source: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Shouting outside and pleading their case inside, hundreds of residents showed up to protest the ban.
“I think that it is going to have a devastating economic effect on the whole coastal community,” said Hal Schanavar, a fisherman.
Fisherman are worried about what will happen if they can't catch snapper. It’s an industry experts said generates more than $10 million a year for Brevard County alone.
“They can't catch this. They can't catch this,” Schanavar said. “They're not going to stay at the motels. They're not going to go to the restaurants. It's going to be an economic domino effect.”
So if it's so important to fisherman, why the talk of a ban?
Government officials are worried about overfishing. They said the snapper population has been in decline for years and a total ban is needed to protect the fish.
Environmental groups said it's a law that needs to be passed.
“If we wait to do this, the likely outcome would be that we would have to have even more significant regulations, perhaps even larger areas closed to fishing, and I don't think anybody wants to see that happen,” said Debbie Salamome from Pew Charitable Trusts.
Both protestors and officials are concerned about the future.
Those for the ban said the snapper needs it to survive, while those against it said with the ban, their way of life will be gone.
“How are people supposed to look at their children and say ‘You know what? You are never going to catch a red snapper.’ My father took me fishing when I was a kid. I want to be able to take my son fishing when I have children. It seems like the whole thing is just wrong,” said Adrian Martinez, a fishing shop owner.
Currently, you can only catch two snappers that are more than 20 inches per fish per day.
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