MONROE COUNTY — Citing concerns about a state proposed bill that could have serious impacts to seagrass and other environmental threats in the Florida Keys, two major flats fishing guide groups are joining forces.
The Lower Keys Guides Association and the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association have agreed to sign a joint memorandum of agreement outlining a future partnership on the multitude of issues facing the Keys’ recreational fishing guide community.
kAm%96 AFCA@D6 @7 E96 28C66>6?E :D 4@@C5:?2E6 677@CED @7 E96 {zvp[ 32D65 :? E96 {@H6C z6JD[ 2?5 uzuvp[ 32D65 :? E96 &AA6C z6JD[ @? :DDF6D E92E :>A24E E96 >6>36CD9:AD @7 3@E9 @C82?:K2E:@?D 2D H6== 2D >2EE6CD A6CE2:?:?8 E@ 7:D96C:6D 2?5 4@?D6CG2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 >6>@C2?5F>]k^Am
kAm“q@E9 @C82?:K2E:@?D H:== >2:?E2:? 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 AC@G:56 FA52E6D E@ @?6 2?@E96C @? AC6DD:?8 >2EE6CD @7 4@?46C?[” E96 >6>@C2?5F> DE2E6D] “(96? ?646DD2CJ[ @?6 @C82?:K2E:@? >2J C6BF6DE 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> E96 @E96C @C82?:K2E:@?] xE :D >FEF2==J F?56CDE@@5 2?5 28C665 3J 3@E9 A2CE:6D E92E 2 4@==23@C2E:@? @7 677@CE 36EH66? 6249 :?56A6?56?E @C82?:K2E:@? 42? 96=A 249:6G6 8@2=D E92E 36?67:E E96 u=@C:52 64@DJDE6>[ 7:D96C:6D[ 8F:56D 2?5 E96 2?8=:?8 4@>>F?:EJ 2D 2 H9@=6]”k^Am
kAmr2AE] p?5C6H %:A=6C[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 {zvp[ 42==65 E96 2==:2?46 36EH66? E96 EH@ 8C@FAD “DEC6?8E9 :? ?F>36CD]”k^Am
kAm“%9:D H:== 8:G6 FD 2 DEC@?86C G@:46 E@ 67764E 492?86[” %:A=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 ?665 E@ E9:?< 3:886C A:4EFC6[” D2:5 r2AE] $E6G6 uC:65>2?[ 4@>>@5@C6 @7 E96 uzuvp] “(6 2C6 7@C>2=:K:?8 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A H6 2=C625J 92G6] ~FC A@H6C =:6D ?@E ;FDE H:E9 E96 >6>36CD9:A @7 @FC EH@ 8C@FAD[ 3FE @FC 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 4FDE@>6C 32D6]”k^Am
kAm%96 2DD@4:2E:@?D 92G6 366? EC24<:?8 2 3:== 7:=65 3J u=@C:52 z6JD DE2E6 $6?] p?2 |2C:2 #@5C:8F6K[ #\s@C2=[ E92E 2:>D E@ @776C 6?G:C@?>6?E2= >:E:82E:@? E@ 56G6=@A6CD H9@ 92C> D628C2DD 365D H:E9 E96:C AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAmq@E9 8C@FAD C646?E=J A6??65 2 ;@:?E =6EE6C E@ #@5C:8F6K 2?5 E96 DE2E6 w@FD6 @7 DA@?D@C @7 E96 3:==[ #6A] %@3J ~G6C5@C7[ #\$E] {F4:6[ BF6DE:@?:?8 E96 >6C:ED @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@? 2?5 @FE=:?:?8 9@H :E 4@F=5 AC@>@E6 52>286 E@ D628C2DD[ 2 G:E2= 923:E2E 7@C G2C:@FD 324<4@F?ECJ 7:D9]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 3:== H@F=5 >2<6 :E 62D:6C 7@C 56G6=@A6CD E@ 86E A6C>:ED 7@C AC@;64ED E92E 56DEC@J D628C2DD :? u=@C:52[” E96 =6EE6C DE2E6D] “xE’D 36:?8 4@\DA@?D@C65 :? E96 w@FD6 3J #6A] %@3J ~G6C5@C7[ 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@?DF=E2?E H9@ DE2?5D E@ 36?67:E 7:?2?4:2==J @77 @7 DF49 AC@;64ED] %9:D 3:== H@F=5 =6E 56G6=@A6CD 3FJ 4C65:ED D@=5 E9C@F89 AC:G2E6=J CF? >:E:82E:@? 32?<D — 8C62D:?8 E96 D<:5D 7@C 2AAC@G2= @7 E96:C AC@;64ED — J6E E96C6 H@F=5 36 ?@ 8F2C2?E66 E92E DF49 4C65:ED H@F=5 C6DF=E :? E9C:G:?8 D628C2DD 6=D6H96C6] q:@=@8:DED 92G6 7@F?5 :E’D G6CJ 5:77:4F=E E@ DF446DD7F==J C6A=2?E D628C2DD[ H9:49 :D GF=?6C23=6 E@ H2E6C BF2=:EJ[ 2 A6CA6EF2= AC@3=6> :? u=@C:52] (9J :? E96 H@C=5 H@F=5 H6 >2<6 :E 62D:6C E@ E62C FA E96 E9C:G:?8 D628C2DD H6 92G6 C6>2:?:?8nk^Am
kAm“tG6? :7 C6A=2?E65 D628C2DD H2D 8F2C2?E665 E@ 36 DF446DD7F= WH9:49 :E 42?’E 36[ 244@C5:?8 E@ D4:6?E:DEDX[ >@G:?8 :E 2H2J 7C@> :ED ?2E:G6 =@42E:@? H@F=5 9FCE H2E6C BF2=:EJ 2?5 923:E2E :? :ED @C:8:?2= =@42E:@?] xE’D 2 =@D6\=@D6 AC@A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 E:>:?8 @7 E96 3:== 4@F=5 ?@E 36 H@CD6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 =6EE6C[ H9:49 ?@E6D E92E 2 C64@C5 ?F>36C @7 >2?2E66D DE2CG65 E@ 562E9 :? u=@C:52 =2DE J62C 27E6C 564256D @7 D628C2DD =@DD 56A=6E65 E96:C 7@@5 DFAA=J]k^Am
kAm%96 3:== :D 2=D@ @AA@D65 3J u=@C:52 x?E6C?2E:@?2= &?:G6CD:EJ AC@76DD@C 2?5 C6D62C49 D4:6?E:DE y:> u@FCBFC62?[ E96 DE2E6’D =625:?8 6IA6CE @? D628C2DD[ 2?5 D6G6C2= DE2E6H:56 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 A6C764E 6I2>A=6 @7 9@H @FC 2DD@4:2E:@?D D9@F=5 H@C< E@86E96C] %9:D :D @3G:@FD=J 2 E6CC:3=6 3:== 7@C 2== 7:D96C>6? :? E96 z6JD[ 2?5 @FC 4@==64E:G6 G@:46D D9@F=5 36 962C5 3J @FC A@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 @FC 4:E:K6?D[” D2:5 r2AE] (:== q6?D@?[ 2 8F:56 H9@ H2D 3@C? 2?5 C2:D65 :? E96 z6JD 2?5 ?@H D6CG6D @? E96 3@2C5 @7 E96 {@H6C z6JD vF:56D pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 366? 2E E96 7@C67C@?E @7 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= DE6H2C5D9:A 7@C E96 =2DE d_ J62CD[ 2?5 H6 D66 2?5 766= H92E 92AA6?D @? E96 H2E6C 367@C6 >@DE 4:E:K6?D] (6 2=D@ 92G6 E96 >@DE E@ =@D6 H96? E9:?8D 8@ 325] %96C67@C6[ :E :D @FC 2:> E@ DA62< 7@C467F==J 7C@> 2 F?:E65 7C@?E @? >2?J @7 E96 :DDF6D 724:?8 E96 u=@C:52 z6JD 6?G:C@?>6?E]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= A6?5:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E2= :DDF6D E96 8C@FAD 92G6 366? :?G@=G65 :? 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ D@[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 4:EJ @7 z6J (6DE’D C676C6?5F> @? 4CF:D6 D9:AD 2?5 E96 7:CDE >2;@C @G6C92F= @7 E96 u=@C:52 z6JD }2E:@?2= |2C:?6 $2?4EF2CJ’D C68F=2E:@?D D:?46 :ED :?46AE:@? 42==65 E96 #6DE@C2E:@? q=F6AC:?E] %96 D2?4EF2CJ :D 6IA64E65 E@ C6=62D6 2? 64@?@>:4 :>A24E DE2E6>6?E @7 E96 #6DE@C2E:@? q=F6AC:?E =2E6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 2DD@4:2E:@?D 2=D@ 2C6 :? E96 A=2??:?8 DE286D @7 C6=62D:?8 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C6A@CE 42C5 E92E H:== 8C256 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D @? E96:C 677@CED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 8C@FA >6>36CD]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D ?@ 244@F?E23:=:EJ 4FCC6?E=J[” uC:65>2? D2:5]k^Am