Dear Source:
As a member of the St. Croix Fisheries Advisory Committee since 1989 and as a full time resident of St. Croix since 1977 I have watched the decline of our reefs. The last few years have been the worse. Where we once had schooling fish and vibrant corals no longer exist. Years ago we (FAC members) were in favor of a moratorium of commercial fishing license because of over fishing. Eight years ago we started work on the banning of gill net fishing due to the amount of destruction it caused to fisheries and the environment. St. Croix has such a finite shelf around it and once the reef fish are gone, they will be gone forever.
The nine gill net fishermen are not stake holders in St. Croix, many of them came from other islands which were fished out and now they have done the same to St. Croix Every day that this illegal practice is allowed to continue, it is another nail in the coffin of St. Croix for future generations for fisheries and tourism.
Will the governor please explain why he is allowing this law to be ignored? All registered voters should remember this at election time!
Michelle Pugh
St. Croix
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