Southeastern FisheriesAssociation, Inc. |
SFA's Mission
SFA’s mission is to defend, protect and enhance the commercial fishing industry in the southeastern United States for present participants as well as future generations through all legal means while maintaining healthy and sustainable stocks of fish.
Congressman Huffman MSA Listening Tour
From the Congressman's website:
The input Huffman receives from this listening tour, and from other stakeholder outreach, will inform his introduction of a Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill. Through this comprehensive and inclusive approach, Huffman hopes to restore the historically bipartisan character of marine fisheries policies including prior successful Magnuson-Stevens reauthorizations.
Click Here for video of SFA member Jimmy Hull talking about the importance of commercial fishers
Next Session:
Honolulu, HI
Friday, Feb 21 10:00am - 12:00pm HST
Strong fisheries management will keep seafood on Florida’s dinner tablesChef Allen Susser wrote an Op-ed for the Miami Herald, in which he says "The United States boasts some of the best managed fisheries in the world, making American seafood a preferred choice for sustainability advocates like myself and, increasingly, for consumers." SFA Member CCI offering New 21CFR117-Compliant HACCP training Courses with Bob Jones  Under new laws, cGMP training is mandatory under 21CFR117. Bob Jones, working with Climate Control International, LLC, has created the premier course to be fully HACCP compliant under the new law. Click the link below to take this new course and complete the exam to update your HACCP certification! This course is brought to you by Florida Fisheries Foundation and CCI, LLC.
New Florida Fisheries Foundation Document on the Bait & Forage Fish industry FFF President Bob Jones recently wrote a great paper on the Bait & Forage fish industry, and how the industry is sustainably managed as-is, and undervalued - "The Florida baitfish industry is an under-appreciated sector of Florida’s economy. The commercial fishermen’s harvest of baitfish (forage fish) is critical to the pleasure and success of recreational fishing for residents and tourists." | Department of Commerce and NOAA Issue Statements Against Domestic Ban of Shark Fin Sales Chris Oliver of NOAA and the Department of Commerce both issues statements this week disapproving of legislation banning the sale of shark fins domestically. Both statements cite the sustainable shark fisheries the U.S. has as the gold standard globally, and how requiring shark fins and other products to fellow the same ethical and traceable standards fishermen here in the U.S. have to abide by is the best way to create more conservation. New HMS Committee for SFA SFA is launching a new Highly Migratory Species Committee with the goal of creating a lasting legacy for current and future generations of fishermen, and to provide access to healthy, sustainable Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico HMS fisheries to all Americans. To achieve these goals, the HMS committee will offer an inclusive and collaborative forum to address industry-wide challenges and promote common interests
Please email Membership Manager Katy McGlynn (katy@sfaonline.org) for more details on joining this committee, and/or other SFA committees. Participation in SFA Committees is open and available to most current members in good standing. NOAA: U.S. Shark fisheries are among the best and most sustainable in the world Hear from NOAA about how U.S. shark fisheries are managed and how good science and understanding fisheries management has help set the standard for shark fisheries. It also dispels the idea that banning the sale of shark fins is the best way to conserve sharks - "Our policy that sharks must be brought to shore with fins naturally attached, however, does have an important global role. It shows that it’s possible to have sustainable shark fisheries without banning the sale of fins. Responsibly participating in the global fin trade allows the United States to showcase our strong conservation and management practices overseas. " New fish farm near Miami aims to grow major portion of U.S. salmon supply A UPI article by Paul Brinkmann discusses the new Salmon farm in Homestead gearing up for production, but at what cost to Floridians? Water quality advocates should be particularly concerned by this excerpt: "To start work on his 160 acres, Andreassen received permits in 2016 from the South Florida Water Management District to siphon about 20 million gallons of water per day from Florida's underground aquifers." Commercial Fishermen Rescue Sailors
While on a commercial fishing trip for SFA Members Wild Ocean Seafood Market and Cape Canaveral Shrimp Company, Captain Matt Beedle and Crewmate Jamie Rodriguez rescued two gentlemen 35 miles offshore of Port Canaveral on July 25th. While fishing, Matt heard the radar alarm go off, went in the wheel house and saw a blip on the screen. He went back out on the deck and saw some orange material waving in the distance. He eased over towards the waving flag and found a dingy with two gentlemen in it. Their sailboat had sunk the afternoon before in 100 feet of water off Ft. Pierce. There was no time to send out a Mayday call. They had burned the gas in their outboard kicker and had shot all their flares the previous night when they spotted a freighter in the distance. They were drifting north in the Gulf stream when F/V Top Tuna spotted them. F/V Top Tuna was the last commercial fishing boat that Dixie Crossroads founder Rodney Thompson built with the help of his grandson, Josh McCoy. Josh now owns and manages the Top Tuna in addition to being the dock manager at Wild Ocean Seafood's Port Canaveral facility. The USCG intercepted Top Tuna seven miles off Port Canaveral and placed the sailors on a USCG boat to finish bringing them into shore. All in a day's work for hard-working commercial fishermen! | Featured member
SFA and Sustainable Shark Alliance Support SSFTA
Click Below to Download US lieutenant governors call for more inspections on imported seafoodFrom SeafoodSource.com News: Lieutenant governors in the United States have put their weight behind a resolution sponsored by Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser (R-Louisiana) calling for additional inspections of imported seafood. |
Become a member
Please help to keep Southeastern Fisheries Association fighting for the future of the commercial seafood industry and YOUR access to seafood - the cleanest, safest protein in the world. Partner with us by becoming a member.
SFA's Major Goals
Preserve harvesting access to the marine fisheries resources for future generations.
There are worldwide efforts to reduce the harvest of seafood and to reduce the number of fishing vessels and fishermen in the industry. One major effort of reduction is in fisheries identified as overcapitalized. Another effort is being made by groups who are opposed to harvesting animals for food purposes.
Promote and deliver continuing education programs concerning seafood safety.
There is a worldwide concern about seafood safety, so much so that the United States, Canada and the European Economic Union have initiated strict seafood safety regulations. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established 21 CFR 123 in 1996 as the controlling regulations for all seafood and aquaculture products sold at wholesale in the country. SFA is developing new options for those needing to be HACCP-certified.
Chronicle the history of the southeastern seafood industry.
Manuscripts, rules and regulations show how the seafood industry in the southeast has been transformed from a valuable and respected industry to an industry considered by some groups as no longer needed.
SFA Board of DirectorsExecutive Committee Chairman of the Board: Peter Jarvis, Triar Seafood President: Tony Lombardi, Lombardi's Seafood Vice President: Dawn Aylesworth, Aylesworth Foundation Treasurer: Sherri McCoy, Cape Canaveral Shrimp Co. Secretary: Jeanna Merrifield, Wild Ocean Market Directors Robert Aylesworth, Aylesworth Fish & Bait Gary Graves, Keys Fisheries Dennis Henderson, Trico Shrimp Co. Tom Hill, Key Largo Fisheries Jimmy Hull, Hull's Seafood Market Mike Merrifield, Wild Ocean Market Gerald Pack, Safe Harbor Seafood Eugene Raffield, Raffield Fisheries Steven Rash, Water Street Seafood |
|
