Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I would like to speak about fishing, a very important special pastime and industry for the Nation. Fishing in Florida is a way of life for many. The small bait and tackle shops, the hotels, the restaurants, the charter boat captains, and the parents who want to see their children marvel when they pull a fish out of the ocean for the first time rely on being able to access the water. In fact, just last week, a Washington Post article traced the path of fish caught in the Florida Keys and off of Florida's East Coast to a Whole Foods market here in the DC area. And sadly, the Deepwater Horizon has shown us how much healthy, high-quality seafood comes out of the Gulf of Mexico every year. In 2007, the Congress reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Magnuson Act has certainly done some good things to ensure the long-term viability of our Nation's fishery resources. But some of the provisions of the law have had major unintended consequences in Florida. I have spoken before about the need for robust science on the status of our oceans and our fishery stocks. In fact, most recently, I worked with Gulf Coast Senators to get funding in the Supplemental Appropriations bill for fisheries science in the Gulf of Mexico. But despite the potential influx of dollars, fisheries data for the Southeast in particular, is still sparse. This lack of data has lead to a crisis in confidence amongst many in the fishing community. Here is why.…”