Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, in response and with respect to my friend, the representative from Florida, Biscayne Bay National Park is 164,800 acres. These are Federal lands. This is a national park, Federal waters. She mentioned that only they are going to close 30 percent of the reefs. It is very important to note that the reef that existed 100 years ago is down to only 6 percent that is left. So the 30 percent that is going to be closed is 2 percent of the original reef. The whole purpose is to actually serve that special interest, the fishing interest of Florida, who desperately need the revival of the fish. We found at the public hearing that at least half of the fishermen there were for closing it, and all the fishermen pointed out that the water was so far away, it was rarely fished at all. The worry was the precedent, not the specific part that is closed. We point out that Biscayne Bay itself is only less than 2 percent-- 1.4 percent--of all Florida's waters. So this is a very tiny part. But the point here is not for any special interest, but to revise, because study after study after study have shown that where these marine sanctuaries are created, the fish recover much faster even than scientists expected. This is for the long-term benefit of the fishing community, for anglers throughout the world, especially serving the larger interests of the American public. Mr.…”