Comment from Tim Palmer

(cont.) Conversely, the only thing that would help keep the balance that has been struck in the South Florida region from Key West to about Ft. Pierce would be a zero retention limit. While this may seem ridiculous to some, the very small area that is already extremely congested with permitted handgear and recreational fishermen simply has reached a saturation point . Creating an economic incentive will only make this worse. Another thing worth mentioning is that an open access fishery for swordfish will allow many, who could not qualify for a restricted species endorsement on the Florida saltwater products license, to easily be able to do so. This will create more pressure on inshore species such as Spanish mackerel and pompano. The Florida Wildlife Commission made it hard to get a RS endorsement by allowing very few fish that could be sold with just a SPL. They did this for the reason of keeping the number RS holders to a manageable level. Allowing the sale of swordfish would create a loophole making it easier for sportfishermen to obtain this endorsement. One problem that is evident is the pitiful lack of enforcement in the South Fl. region. There is nothing that I see in the alternatives that would curb the black market sales here. If anything, it will create an environment that will make it easier for recreationally caught fish to be sold by increasing the number of outlets through which the fish could be offloaded. It seems a folly to me to reward widespread the non-compliance that we have witnessed here in this region with the issuance of an open access permit. Once again the only thing that will truly work for this very special area is zero retention. I wish to thank you for taking the time to read this. I think that it is possible to strike a balance between increasing our landings in a responsible way without severely impacting the current participants. Thank you for your careful consideration. Best Regards ,Tim Palmer