The rash of dealer break-ins continues. Tom Hansen of the Boathouse in Cape Coral asks all dealers and marinas to be extra vigilant as thefts by very professional thieves continues. “We just had high end electronics stolen from a boat on the corner of our property along Del Prado Blvd. (a very high traffic road) in a well-lit lot with full security and cameras. These thieves are pros and are very brazen. It is the fourth incident we have had in recent months despite a significant investment in security measures and a close working relationship with local law enforcement.”
We urge you to be extra vigilant and please report any incidents you have to local law enforcement, then to SWFMIA ([email protected]) so we can pass it along to other members.
The Gulf Fisheries Management Council prepares fishery management plans designed to manage fishery resources from where state waters end, out to the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of Mexico for Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Is that a big deal to the boating?? Well, they set policy on recreational fishing’s seasons and bag limits in federal waters (such as our current 8 day red snapper season!). Have you heard about Sector Separation, another policy issue that could have devastating effects on your customers opportunity to catch fish?
Yeah, it’s a big deal that will directly affect your business and we have an opportunity to put a boating industry leader on the council.
Dyskow is the former president of the Yamaha Marine Group, has a strong commitment to conservation and as a member of NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee is experienced in the fisheries management process.
Boating United, the industry’s grassroots political platform makes it easy for you to you to be engaged on many important boating issues and provides a very easy way for you to send your endorsement for Dyskow’s appointment to the Council. Click on Let’s show our support for Phil! If you’ve done this before, your info is already there and sending an email is a click. If you’ve never done it, you can easily sign up as a Boating United participant and be engaged.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to downlist the West Indian manatee from endangered to a less-serious status of threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Service has asked for public comment on the issue, and time is running out to make your voice heard! April 6th is the last day to submit your comments here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0178-0001.
For more information on this issue, click the links below to download these supplementary documents:
For many of our members, recent rain and subsequent release of water into the Caloosahatchee River has been a huge problem. We have received several inquiries from members asking what we can do?
Because of the unusually heavy rains this winter, a massive amount of fresh water tainted with pollutants is being released from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River basin and the St. Lucie Waterway. We have received several inquiries from members asking what we can be done to affect change?
As the system currently exists there is no other option for release of the extreme quantities of water other than the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie Waterway. There are plans as part of the overall Everglades Restoration Plan to provide other options. These are expensive and complex fixes and funding has been held up for many years. Due to the inaction of our government our beautiful rivers, estuaries and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico are paying a terrible price with this unnecessary influx of polluted fresh water. It is time for our government to take both short and long-term action.
What can we do? We can join others in a rallying cry to the agencies involved.
Mayor Kevin Ruane of Sanibel has issued a call to action and our Government Affairs Consultant, Joe Mazurkiewicz, has suggested that SWFMIA members back his effort. SWFMIA members can support this effort by urging your elected officials to support the Mayor’s “3 Step Action Plan” described below. Additionally, the SWFIMA is leveraging this situation as a call to action. Members are asked to contact our Congressional delegation to get them to help move the Federal government to fund their share of the Everglades Restoration projects ASAP.
This is a real issue that exemplifies the need for all our members to get involved. Nothing is more effective than residents and local businessmen taking direct action to contact legislators.
Please copy us on any e-mails or faxes you send.
Sanibel Mayor Calls for Immediate Implementation of 3-Point Action Plan in Response to Lake O. Releases
While in Tallahassee addressing our State legislators on critical long-term local and regional water quality projects Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane issued a call for immediate action by the South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corps of Engineers to address the current Lake Okeechobee releases. Simultaneously, Mayor Ruane issued a call to the mayors of each city in Lee County to work collectively on requesting a 3-Point Action Plan. “As a community, as a region and as a government restoring and protecting the quality of our economic lifeline, water quality, is our highest priority. We know we are most effective in Tallahassee and Washington when we speak with one unified voice. Today I am calling on the mayors of our sister cities to support this 3-Point Plan for immediate action steps” stated Ruane as he issued the “Call for Action.”
The “3 Step Action Plan” calls for:
Maximizing storage on all private lands currently under contract with the SFWMD
Maximize potential storage on public lands within Lee County
Call on the Army Corps of Engineers and the SFWMD to exercise their operational flexibility to hold more water in the Lake
Click here to read Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane’s request to the mayors of Lee County. Click here to read the City of Sanibel’s Caloosahatchee Watershed Regional Water Management Issues White Paper: Short and Long-term solutions for storage and treatment.
Have you seen a direct impact?
Our Tallahassee Lobbyist, Missy Timmins is looking for any numbers you might have on direct impact to your business of the water release. Or, relay any specific comments of customers or related incidents
Below is a contact list for our Senators and Representatives, and a link that will help you identify your district. Click on “Map of Congressional Districts” and zoom in. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/FL
Here is a a copy of the letter SWFMIA is sending to our U.S Senators and Representatives in our membership area. Please personalize any correspondence you send but you are welcome to use any of our wording that you wish.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to downlist the West Indian manatee from endangered to a less-serious status of threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This is primarily a result of a steady increase in the manatee population in recent years.
It is not anticipated that this would mean any short-term changes in speed zones or other protections currently in place. In the longer term, it could ease some restrictions on dock permitting and dredging and may lessen the chance for further speed zone restrictions.
The Marine Industries Association of Florida actively supports responsible boating practices and stewardship of all natural resources. We continue to advocate for sound decisions, based on science, in managing the manatee. It is our belief that this is a responsible move on the part of the service and indicative of the success of the Endangered Species Act in bringing the manatee population back to sustainable levels.
The Service is now asking for public comment, a key step in the downlisting process. We encourage every boater, fisherman, and outdoorsman to participate in this process. Comments from actual waterway users has far more impact than any other single source.
Be respectful, be factual, and point out that you actually live in Florida or make use of Florida waters. Below is a sample response, but please use your own words and personal experience in crafting your reply. The more individual each response is without it looking like a form letter the more likely it will be read and considered.
“Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed down-listing of the manatee from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened’. As a Florida resident and a boater, I have personally seen the growth of the population, and the expansion of their range. Given this growth over the past decades, “endangered’ status is not applicable. I encourage wildlife managers to develop a long term program to sustain the population in balance with other critical resources important for our estuaries. As with other species, we should study carrying capacity, food resources, and possible threats from an over-abundance of animals in certain locations. Those efforts cannot be undertaken with a species listed as “endangered’. This step is long over-due, and I applaud the Service for its action and more importantly it’s success in recovering the manatee.”
Finally, mark your calendar for February 20th. There will be a public forum at the Buena Vista Palace in Orlando. It is critical that concerned residents attend and testify in person. The meeting runs from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Big changes to Gulf recreational red snapper management could be coming – here’s your chance to weigh in and make sure your voice is heard. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) is holding public hearings on a proposal known as regional management that could give states a larger role in red snapper management in federal waters. See meeting dates and times below.
Currently, the Council is responsible for management of the recreational red snapper fishery in all Gulf of Mexico federal waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) manages state waters off Florida. If the Council approves regional management, the federal recreational red snapper quota would be divided state-by-state or at a regional level, and states would set recreational seasons and bag limits in both state and federal waters off their coast.
Regional management could allow for recreational red snapper regulations in federal waters to be tailored to more local needs. However, there are possible trade-offs, such as potentially fewer fishing days for Florida red snapper anglers.
Two meetings will be held in Florida on regional management during October. Council and FWC staff will be on hand at these meetings to discuss proposal details and what it might mean for Florida anglers. If you cannot attend an in-person meeting, there will also be a webinar.
The FWC Commission will discuss regional management and review input from the public hearings at its Nov. 18-19 meeting in Panama City. This input will help the FWC Commission decide how the FWC representative on the Council should vote on the Council’s regional management proposal.
The Council is expected to make a final decision on regional management at its Jan. 25-29 meeting in Orange Beach, AL.
Meeting dates and locations:
All in-person meetings begin at 6 p.m. local time and end no later than 9 p.m. local time. The webinar begins at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
In an effort to keep the recreational boating industry up to date of legislative work and engaged in advocacy activities, the NMMA has put together a new all-inclusive Grassroots Tool-Kit. A PDF can be downloaded here.
The tool-kit is intended to be a resource you can turn to to be a better advocate, to share our industry’s story with key influencers and decision makers, as a guide to hosting Congressional visits and much more. We hope you will use this as reference material in your daily endeavors, as we strive to make industry advocacy a 365 day reality. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Lewan at [email protected].
FORT MYERS, FL — Jopie Helsen, owner of the Sailor’s Wharf in St. Petersburg, FL was named “Member of the Year” by the Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association at its recent annual dinner.
“Jopie has been an outstanding advocate of the marine industry for many years and has played a huge role in the growth of our association in the Tampa Bay Region,” said SWFMIA President Hans Wilson. “In particular, his role in protecting the interests of recreational boating in the development of St. Petersburg’s Master Plan for their downtown waterfront is a classic example of what drive and determination can achieve. The marine industry is very fortunate to have someone as dedicated as Jopie is to the boating lifestyle.”
The inscription on the award reads:
“Lead Me, Follow Me, or Get Out of My Way”, General George S. Patton
(Or, was it Jopie Helsen?) Many people have great ideas and good intentions, but few have the focus and drive it takes to carry through. Fortunately for the Marine Industry, Jopie Helsen is one of those few. His success as a world-class racing sailor, a boat manufacturer, and since 1978, owner of St. Petersburg’s The Sailor’s Wharf Yacht Yard is well known. Jopie’s leadership and energy has been the catalyst in the growth of the Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association in the Tampa Bay Area. He has worked tirelessly to educate business and government leaders on the economic impact of recreational boating, the need to responsibly manage Southwest Florida’s magnificent waterfront, and the importance of promoting the boating lifestyle to residents and visitors. Husband, Father, Business Owner, Marine Industry Veteran, and Friend.
Please Join Us – All Interested Marine Industry Businesses Welcome
St. Petersburg Yacht Club – Thursday September 10, 4:00pm – RSVP Required
SWFMIA Roundtables are an opportunity for Marine Industry Businesses to come together for updates and discussions on issues. More importantly it is a chance to network, get to know others in the boating business, and be a part of growing efforts to strengthen the voice of our industry in Southwest Florida.
The Agenda
Dock & Marina Permitting & Dredging
Hans Wilson, Hans Wilson & Associates
Howard Miller, Gator Dredging
The current state of Dock Permitting & a review of local dredging projects affecting boating.
Derelict Vessel Update
Hans Wilson, Hans Wilson & Associates
Phil Secord, Mastry Engine Center
Status of FWC Derelict Vessel Plan.
Pinellas County Manatee Plan
Norm Schultz
Status of plan and its impact on local boaters.
FWS Grants for Transient Docks
Walt Miller, St. Petersburg Municipal Marina
A review of the city’s process in obtaining an FWC grant.
West Coast Inland Navigation District
Justin McBride
What is WCIND and the role it plays in recreational boating.
Fishing Regs Effect on Boating
Dennis O’Hern, Fishing Rights Alliance
Dr. Luis Barbieri, FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Where are we with State and Federal regulations. How is it impacting the boating public.
Legislative Update
Missy Timmins, Timmins Consulting
MIA of Florida Tallahassee Lobbyist
Upcoming boating issues in Tallahassee. Reapportionment.
SWFMIA
The state of the Association and a discussion of how we can better bring Boating Businesses together and grow the voice of our Industry.
Roundtable: 4:00pm – 6:30pm (Starting promptly at 4:00pm) No charge to attend Happy Hour: 6:30pm – 7:30pm (SWFMIA hosts appetizers and 1st drink, then cash bar)
St. Petersburg Yacht Club
11 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
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