[Kensdock]

New Jersey had no shot at this money due to the fact we have no salt water license!

Saltwater hatcheries seek part of stimulus package






It’s unknown whether President Barack Obama has ever cast a gold spoon at a school of tailing redfish on a shallow Florida grassflat.

But one day, his signature could ensure that millions of future anglers enjoy a better chance to experience that sportfishing thrill.

The Florida Marine Fisheries Enhancement Initiative is a public-private partnership working to sustain one of Florida’s largest industries — recreational fishing.

Recreational fishing in Florida nets the state more than $5 billion a year and maintains more than 130,000 jobs. A whopping 39 percent of all the saltwater fishing in the United States takes place in Florida waters and the number of anglers coming to Florida to fish each year is increasing by 7 percent, according to figures researched by the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

The initiative contends the construction of a network of seven saltwater hatcheries spread around the state will help sustain those jobs and will continue to maintain Florida as the nation’s No. 1 saltwater fishing destination.

A proposal to secure almost $150 million in funding for this effort has been submitted to Congress, as well as to Gov. Charlie Crist’s office.

The money requested would come from Obama’s stimulus package through the state Legislature.

Brett Boston of the Wildlife Foundation of Florida believes the proposal will be well received at the state and federal levels.

“We did our homework and we’re ready for this money,” Boston said. “We already have the property, we have bright colorful people who know hatcheries and we have the partnerships.”

Boston said seven hatcheries are needed because Florida has 1,365 miles of coastline and varied ecosystems. Plus many popular game fish, such as redfish and snook, have slightly different genetics in east coast and west coast waters.

Boston said 3,129 immediate construction jobs would benefit local economies near hatchery sites.

Upon completion, 169 permanent green jobs would exist in the form of biologists and other hatchery personnel.

Three facilities will be on or near the Treasure Coast — Florida Institute of Technology’s Vero Beach Marine Laboratory, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce and 3 miles north of Sebastian Inlet is the Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute.

At a cost of $18.1 million, the plan would add a 10-acre saltwater fish stock enhancement center to Harbor Branch’s 20 acres of existing fish-rearing facilities, said Megan Davis, Harbor Branch director for aquaculture and stock enhancement. The facility would be able to raise and release 7 million fingerling

redfish into Florida’s estuaries and bays. An estimated 400 construction jobs and 12 permanent jobs would be generated there.

The Vero Beach Marine Enhancement Center on 5 acres would create 248 construction jobs, 16 permanent jobs and would cost $10.8 million. East and west coast broodstock would be raised there to produce millions of larvae for transport to facilities like Harbor Branch, Hubbs SeaWorld and New Smyrna Beach.

GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE

• Florida will provide global leadership in marine fisheries enhancement, via production, habitat restoration and adaptive management of enhancement and restoration impact.

• Maintain a balance of genetic quality and marine enhancement center output.

• The best available science will drive the production and enhancement processes. Knowledge gained will be applied to increase efficiencies and marine enhancement center output and effectiveness.

• To focus on viable production of recreational fish in the most cost-effective manner possible.

GREEN JOBS

• The construction of these hatcheries would produce “green” jobs, including biologists, habitat restoration specialists and research positions.

• They would be high end science-related jobs and the people would be working there long term helping to sustain what is a $5 billion resource for the State of Florida

• Partnerships with universities link these jobs to environmental managers. The strategy is to create our own long term industry

•To learn more visit Support Florida Sportfish

Source: Brett Boston of the Wildlife Foundation of Florida

FISHING IN FLORIDA

• Commercial and recrea´tional fishing generated more than $185 billion in sales and supported more than 2 million jobs in 2006

• Recreational fishing generated 131,000 jobs in Florida and $7.6 billion in sales

• Texas was a distant sec´ond with $2.2 billion in sales and 34,000 jobs

• Commercial fishing in Florida accounts for $5.2 billion in sales and 103,000 jobs, second only to California with $9.8 billion and 179,000 jobs.

Source: Fisheries Economics of the U.S., 2006,