Resolution 633-2006
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
RESOLUTION NO. 633 -2006
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SUPPORTING THE MONROE
COUNTY COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN IN THEIR EFFORTS TO
HAVE THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES VMS TRACKING
SYSTEM REQUIREMENT RESCINDED.
WHEREAS, commercial fishing is a traditional and vital part of the Florida Keys
economy; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recognizes that the
County's fishermen serve the Keys communities in many capacities; and
WHEREAS, commercial fishermen raise families, pay taxes and obey the laws like
other citizens; and
WHEREAS, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, an agency within the
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, has promulgated a rule requiring placement
of global positioning systems (vessel monitoring system, VMS) on all commercial fishing
vessels in order to track their movements; and
WHEREAS, vessel monitoring systems profile commercial fishermen as a class of
citizens who cannot be trusted to obey the laws; and
WHEREAS, tracking the movements of law abiding citizens is offensive to human
dignity and the principles of a free society and the constitution of the United States;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1: That the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners supports the
efforts of commercial fishermen to have the rule requiring VMS rescinded.
Section 2: That the Monroe County Commission calls upon our State and Federal
elected officials to use their good offices to support our Monroe County fishermen by calling
for the ban on the use of such odious devices that involuntarily track the movements of law
abiding citizens.
Section 3: The Clerk is directed to send certified copies of this Resolution to the
addressees on the attached list entitled Exhibit A- List of Addresses, incorporated herein by
reference.
VMS Tracking Res.
Section 4:
This Resolution shall become effective on the date written below.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County, FIlorida, at a meeting of said Board held on the 20th day of December, A.D., 2006.
Mayor Mario DiGennaro
Mayor Pro Tem Dixie M. Spehar
<c;~~ Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
-, (/~"il ....,{l;~ Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
" . c 1 23 ~ ommissioner George Neugent
Yeg
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OFM~~~ORID~
By
Mayor/Chairman
UZANNE A. HUTTON
COUNTY flOR'Jf! ~
/~ ~
::r ~
=
0 0 = .."
2: )> ......
:::On=<: c... r-
o :::: ".. r.1
rrt r- _~. ::z: 0
::<: . "
n. ,- N
00' c.> C')
c: ;.o~::: ::co
z. ( -0 ;:0
~~~~ :J: f"'l1
:',' ).> "
- a
r C) .. ;:0
po rq (J'I 0
c.>
VMS Tracking Res.
EXHIBIT A - LIST OF ADDRESSES
Dr. Roy Crabtree
Regional Administrator
National Marine Fisheries Service
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Roy O. Williams
Assistant Director
FFWCC Division of Marine Fisheries
Farris Bryant Building
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
R. Vernon Minton
Director, Alabama Dept. of
Conservation and Natural Resources
Marine Resources Division
P.O. Drawer 458
Gulf Shores, AL 36535
Corky Perret
Vice Chair
Dept. of Marine Resources
1141 Bayview Ave., Suite 101
Biloxi, Mississippi 39530
Karen Foote
Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and
Fisheries Room 356
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000
Robin Reichel's
Chair
Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744
Dr.. William T. Hogarth
Director, National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East West Highway
Silversprings, Maryland 20910
Senator Mel Martinez
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Bill Nelson
7116 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
George J Geiger
Chairman, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council
566 Ponoka Street
Sebastian, FL 32958
Charles Duane Harris
Vice-Chaiman, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council
105 Demere Retreat Lane
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Anthony L Iarocci
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
236 Guava Avenue
Grassy Key, FL 33050
Mark Robson
FIWVCC
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Governor Jeb Bush
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Office of Attorney General Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
2160 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC 20515-0918
Representative Ron Saunders
405 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Gulf Fishermen's Association
1336 Bayview Drive
Clearwater, FL 33756
Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's
Association
P.O. Box 501404
Marathon, FL 33050
Mike Mastry, II, Esq.
2101 - 5th Avenue North
St. Petersburg. FL 33713
STATE OF FLORIDA
(!&ffice of tbe ~oberltor
CHARLIE CRIST
GOVERNOR
THE CAPITOL
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-0001
www.flgov.com
850-488-7146
850-487-0801 fax
February 15, 2007
The Honorable Danny L. Kolhage
Clerk of Circuit Court
Monroe County
500 Whitehead Street, Suite 101
Key West, Florida 33040
Dear Mr. Kolhage:
Thank you for sending Resolution 633-2006 to Governor Charlie Crist. The Governor
appreciates the concerns of Monroe County commercial fishermen and asked me to respond on
his behalf.
Your best sources of assistance with concerns about the National Marine Fisheries
Services are United States Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez or your local congressional
representative. I understand you shared your concerns with these elected officials. That was
the appropriate thing to do.
To assist you, I forwarded a copy of your letter to the Governor's Office of Legislative
Affairs.
Governor Crist wants to know how Floridians feel about the critical issues we face, and
will keep your ideas in mind when speaking to federal officials and when forming state policy to
address these concerns.
Thank you again for writing.
&
--.
Warren Davis
Office of Citizen Services
3: 0
o ::p
X -e:
:;OC'")~~
Cl -
MC.-<
~,
o' r
on:.._
~?J;:~;
-In~;:
~<--l~'"
. . ;p
.." G'J
r 1'1
::p
l;i:
=
.....
...,
r'T1
CD
N
<:)
"T1
r
I"T'\
Cl
WD/cas
celene: Office of Legislative Affairs
..,.,
o
~'o
-0
::J:
~
<:)
to)
::;:i
ril
"
o
~o
c:J
FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
."-,
~..
\, :)&
....;.;.~..
..:'~
RODNEY BARRETO
Miami
HA "HERKY" HUFFMAN
Enterprise
DAVID K. MEEHAN
St. Petersburg
SANDRA T. KAUPE
Palm Beach
KATHY BARCO
Jacksonville
RICHARD A CORBETT
Tampa
BRIAN S. YABLONSKI
Tallahassee
KENNETH D. HADDAD, Executive Director
VICTOR J. HELLER, Assistant Executive Director
DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
MARK ROBSON, DMSION DIRECTOR
(850)487.0554 TDD (850)488-9542
March 2, 2007
Mr. Danny L. Kolhage, Clerk of the
Circuit Court and ex-officio Clerk
To the Board of County Commissioners
Monroe County
500 Whitehead Street, Suite 101
Key West, Florida 33040
Dear Mr. Kolhage,
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has received a copy of Resolution No.
~ 633-2006 supporting the Monroe County Commercial Fishermen in their efforts to have the
National Marine Fisheries VMS Tracking System Requirement rescinded.
Through our representative on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, we have
supported the implementation of a VMS system for commercial reef fish permit holders in the
Gulf of Mexico. However we will ensure that all members of the Gulf of Mexico and South
Atlantic Fishery Management Councils are aware of the concerns and positions taken by the
Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.
~ <::>
o )>
:z: :z:
;on-:r~
0,--
"':;>;-<
n. r-
an'
~?? ?~.:
-4(;r..:"
-< -4 :.~
~ . P"
-" C>
,- M
l>
cc:
Commissioners
Kenneth D. Haddad
Darlyn Stockfisch
Bill Teehan
620 South Meridian Street. Tallahassee. FL . 32399-1600
Visit MyFWC.COlll
......
<=>
<=>
....
:E
-
:::c
-"
r=
m
o
-"
o
;U
;0
ft1
"
o
:::0
o
\D
-0
:E
ca
o
Co)