ORTHWEST

LORIDA

EAGUE

ITIES

P.C. WuPresident/FLC Director

City of Pensacola

Kurvin QuallsFirst Vice President

Town of Jay

Tommy McDonald, Jr.Second Vice President

City of Chipley

Mike AndersonPast President/ FLC Director

City of Fort Walton Beach

Lee Garner Treasurer

City of Chattahoochee

Sarah ‘Sam’ SeeversLegislative Chair

City of Destin

Bob GinsbergLegislative Vice-Chair

City of Mexico Beach

Charles Baugh, Jr.Director At-Large

City of Crestview

Walt KelleyDirector At-Large /Mayor’s League Liaison

City of Lynn Haven

Mark MartinDirector At-Large

City of Freeport

Ken NelsonDirector At-Large

City of Panama City Beach

John ReevesDirector At-Large

City of Port St. Joe

Gene WrightDirector At-Large

Town of Malone

Jeff Hendry, Executive Director •325 John Knox Road, Building 300•Tallahassee, FL 32303 Phone (850) 487-1870•Fax (850) 487-0041•Email info@nwflc.com

RESOLUTION 01-2010A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES URGINGFLORIDA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO APPROPRIATE FUNDING TOTHE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS) SO THAT A NEW, FULL-BLOWN STOCK ASSESSMENT CAN BE CONDUCTED FOR EACH GULF SPECIESTHAT IS TO BE MANAGED. FURTHER THAT THE NEW, FULL-BLOWN STOCKASSESSMENT BE CONDUCTED BY A CREDIBLE INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTYSOURCE. FURTHER THAT THIS NEW FULL-BLOWN STOCK ASSESSMENT BEUSED BY THE NMFS IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL MANDATESOF THE MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY MANAGEMENT ACT (THE ACT).

WHEREAS

the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is the governingbody that is responsible for compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens FisheryManagement Act, which requires management decisions to be based on “the best dataavailable”; and

WHEREAS

the data that has been collected by the Marine RecreationalFisheries Statistical Survey (MRFSS) has been proven to be “fatally flawed” by theNational Research Council, yet it continues to be used to promote the shutdown of specific fisheries; and

WHEREAS

in 2006, Congress required NMFS to take very specific actions tocorrect this data by January 1, 2009 as required by Title 16 of the United States Code,Section 1881(D), yet so far there has been no improvement to MRFSS; and

WHEREAS

, the decisions of the NMFS - which have been proven to be basedon “fatally flawed” data - are systematically and dramatically harming an economicengine that is so vital to our local, state, and national economies; and

WHEREAS

, the fishing industry is vitally important to the history and heritage of the coastal communities that are affected by management decisions; and

WHEREAS,

the Northwest Florida Fishing Industry injects about $615 million indirect spending into the local economy, is responsible for directly or indirectlysupporting over 24,500 jobs that pay wages in excess of $525 million, pays $85 millionof State and local taxes, and including the Money Multiplier effect, generates $1.2billion to the local economy; and