Comment from William Kelly

Dear Secretary Bryson, The Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association fully supports Regulatory Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. Amendment 11 will eliminate the unnecessary closure of thousands of square miles of bottom fishing to the harvest of numerous other species of fish vital to commercial and recreational fishing interests in the Southeast. Closures of this magnitude should be supported by appropriate science indicating the need for such regulatory action and to date SEDAR assessments of both Speckled Hind and Warsaw groupers have been incomplete due to the lack of knowledge of spawning periods and locations. The need for further scientific study and analysis is obvious. To that point we highly recommend that any such studies be carried out by NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service and not by any third parties with special interests. The present closure is causing irreparable financial harm to fishermen and coastal communities and we ask that you take immediate action to approve and implement Regulatory Amendment 11 as soon as possible. Sincerely, Bill Kelly Capt. Bill Kelly, Executive Director Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association Marathon, Florida 305-619-0039 FKCFA1@hotmail.com