OUR GOALS

                                         Our number one goal is: “FISH FOREVER!

 Florida’s    commercial   fishing  industry  and   historical   culture  of  Mom  and  Pop fishing
 businesses was  virtually destroyed by the  passing of a Constitutional Amendment in 1994.
 The     Constitutional    Amendment  is  now   known   as   Article   10,   Section   16   of   the
 Florida Constitution.

 The  Florida  Fishermen’s  Federation  is on record as being a representative of the
 Mom  and  Pop  fishing families  in Florida.  Without the hard working  dads,  wives,
 sons,  daughters,  granddads,  and  grandmothers  our  great  heritage and culture
 would crumble.

 The  infrastructure of  the  fishing  industry  was almost totally annihilated.  If  not  for the FFF
 being involved in  court battles  to  force the Legislature  and Fish Commission to clarify the
 law, all would have been lost, with the exception of a few crabbers and cast netters.

 The FFF  is  endeavoring  to  keep  common  sense  included  in  laws  and rules that affect
 each of us.  We  stick  together  and  do  not  point  our fingers or offer up our brother to get
 what we want.  This  is  more  than  just  an  organization; we are a brotherhood with trust in
 God Almighty.  We are to blame if we stand idly by and see the destruction of our culture.

 The  first  battle  in  the  court  started  in  the  last  part of 1994 with the measurement of the
 shrimp  trawl,  “The  Millender Case”.   The  Golden-Crum  net  was  taken  all the way to the
 Florida Supreme Court and won by  the efforts of the members of FFF.  The  trawl  net case
 set the  standards throughout  the industry for the correct way to measure a trawl.  The State
 and  CCA’s  measurements  would  have  totally  shut down the in-shore shrimping industry.
 The Supreme Court’s decision stated that the measurements that the State and CCA used
 to  measure our nets defied common sense.  There are over 1,500 shrimpers now working
 because  of  the  actions  of  FFF  members  and  their  lawyers.  The  Millender  case, that
 featured  the  Golden-Crum net, is the only precedent-setting case on  measurement of any
 type of net;  that  has helped  the other  fin  fishermen  with  measurement  of  cast nets and
 seines.

 The FFF  wrote  a  “Rule Challenge”  on  the  construction  of a  beach and haul seine, even
 though  another  fishing  organization  had  recommended  a   #9 twine 2” stretch mesh net.
 The  FFF  opposed  the  rule  entirely  and  had  it not been for a member of another fishing
 organization  testifying  against  us  we  would  have  prevailed  in  a  total  victory  with  our
 challenge.  We did  manage to keep the rule from being enacted for 19 months, but all was
 not  lost.  Fishermen  can  at least build their seines that will catch some of the fish that they
 target, because there is no restriction on the twine size of the nets.

 In 1997 the Legislature had  a  Bill  before  them  that  would have totally done away with all
 nets in in-shore  and  near-shore waters.  Industry  representatives from other organizations
 had made a deal  with  the legislators that would allow them to catch bait, and do away with
 any nets constructed of braided, twisted, or mono materials.  The only thing that would have
 been left for us to use would be our hand; we couldn’t have even use steel cable.   The FFF
 prevailed  in  the  Legislature  and  370.093(2)(b) has further strengthened our heritage and
 delivered us from further destruction.

 The  FFF  is  committed  to standing up and defending the fishermen’s rights in the  Courts,
 and before the State and Federal Legislatures, the FWC, or any other organization or entity
 that would try to impede or harm our heritage and culture.

 The FFF has  an  expert  commercial gear witness that has testified in many criminal courts
 in  Florida; he is the President  of  this  organization, Ray Pringle.  So  far, no fisherman has
 been  found  guilty of any infraction when he testifies in his or her defense.  Ray has traveled
 all over the state testifying in the defense of FFF members.

 There are  many ways to redress our grievances and we actively pursue those avenues, not
 rant and rave like we did in the old days.

 

                                       A MEMORIAL TO THE STATE CHAPLAIN

             The last article written by Rev. Ray Pringle, Sr. before he passed away

             Early in this century, a great philosopher  in one of his inspiring  essays wrote: “The
 overflowing  heart  gives  the  lips  full  speech.”  I was brought up from my childhood by the
 teachings  of Jesus Christ and the Good Book, the Holy Bible – even in grammar and high
 school.  I  learned  very  much  about  Bible  Morality and Integrity from the old, God-fearing
 men  and  women  in  the late 1920’s, and in the Great Depression and dust Bowl years of
 the 1930’s – by their word, but greater learning came from their examples.

             During the Great  Depression  of abject  poverty  for  most of us Americans, my dad
 was  a  gill-net mullet fisherman.  The fish dealer owned his motor launch, the skiffs, and the
 nets.  Mullet  was  bought for ¾ of a cent to one cent per pound – and by the way, they were
 scarce even in the 1930’s when there were few gill-netters.  My dad, the captain of the crew,
 was fortunate to draw $8.00 to $10.00 weekly – the crew’s share averaged about $7.00.

             On  Oct. 29, 1929, the  great  Stock  Market  Crash  came   suddenly.  Fortunes  and
 savings were wiped out.  My dad’s $800.00 he had in his bank account vanished.  We lived
 in  poverty  for  the  next ten years, virtually  surviving on mullet, grits, and guava jelly.  Oh, for
 those good old  days!!!  But  we  learned  to live  and share with our neighbors what little we
 had.

             I have  a  great  memory – that’s  why  my lips have full speech – from an overflowing
 heart.  Like I heard  Billy  Graham preach  in one  of his Crusades on TV several years ago:
 His text, “While  I Was  Musing  the Fire  Burned,” so  I light  up by the hand of Almighty God
 upon me when I write or  talk about  commercial fishing and the agonizing, tyrannical, unjust
 treatment perpetuated upon commercial net fishermen by our government.

             These  politicians  and  bureaucrats  care  nothing   for  the   poor,  the handicapped,
 and the elderly, who struggle under their oppressive and irresponsible laws and regulations,
 enforced  by  some  of  the  FWC  enforcement officers arbitrarily like Hitler’s Nazi Gestapo
 thugs.  These atrocities insult God  Almighty and, my beloved fishermen friends, He will visit
 this sin of injustice upon these villains, both politicians, bureaucrats, and officers.

             Billy  Graham  quoted  this  scripture  from the Holy Bible some time ago in a
 Crusade: “He that oppresses the poor insults his  Creator: but he that honors God
 has  mercy  on the poor.”  Amen.  Like the Seabees of World War II fame, “We work
 and fight with all  our  might.”  And,  may  I  add,  we  pray  and  give  to support the
 Florida  Fishermen’s  Federation  and  its gallant  leaders: Ray Pringle and Rhonda
 Dooley, who go and work  relentlessly for you  seven  days a week.  Come on now,
 my discouraged and  disappointed brethren  that have  virtually been destroyed by
 your own state government,  join  up in the FFF  with us and let’s hang together, or
 our enemies  will hang  us  separately.  We’re  with  you  all  the  way, by the help of
 our Sovereign, Almighty God.

Rev. Pringle mending nets in
 his hometown of Cortez, Florida