Monday, local fisherman voiced their concerns over The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s proposed expansion on prohibited federal fishing zones off the South Carolina coast.
The organization, run by the federal government, protects endangered Atlantic fish species from North Carolina to Florida.
Some local fisherman walked out during the meeting after they heard the areas and methods proposed to protect snapper and grouper species off the coast.
“Council is considering closing some pretty substantial economically important areas of fishing ground off the shore here,” said Chris Conklin.
Conklin is a local representative for the management council.
He says the group now considers three possibilities a one square mile, a 3.1 square mile, and a 13 square mile protected zone off the Georgetown Coast.
Conklin, a fisherman himself in Murrells Inlet, realizes the possibilities of closing this area.
“The Georgetown hole is an economically important area a lot of commercial fishermen make their leaving around there or on it,” he said.
Areas of Murrells Inlet, and Wrightsville beach, North Carolina are already under prohibition.
Fishermen say if regulations pass for more prohibited areas, it may put them out of business.
“We’re all out commercial fishing trying to make a living; we just don’t have the opportunity to make it here anymore,” said Cpt. Keith Logan.
Logan runs North Myrtle Beach fishing charters; a business that takes about 1200 people off our coast every year to fish.
He is also a commercial fisherman and says these regulations might not just affect his profits, but tourism as well.
“They {tourists} visit our restaurants here they all want our fresh local catch and if we can’t provide that for them they might be going to other areas to find it,” said Logan.
If the regulations pass, the earliest they could go into effect is next summer.