The following information was provided by the Attorney General's Communications Office:

Attorney General McCollum today sent a letter to Secretary Gary Locke of the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the bans imposed on snapper fishing off of Florida’s coasts.

“The result of these actions could lead to shortened seasons, reduced bag limits, and ultimately, an indefinite fishing ban that would severely
impact our sport fishermen and Florida’s economy,” wrote Attorney General McCollum.

The Attorney General noted that the economic contribution of fishing in
Florida is more than $4.5 billion in annual retail sales and urged the
Secretary to fund a data collection system that will protect Florida’s
fisheries without adding any undue burden to this vital industry.

A copy of the letter is available online at:
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-83EJRC/$file/LockeLetter.pdf

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call the
Attorney General’s Communications Office at 850.245.0150.