Oculina Bank Oral History Project
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Interviewer
Terry L. Howard
Publication Date
10-11-2010
Date
2010-07-15
Abstract
Oral history interview with recreational fisherman John Conlon. Conlon has been fishing the waters off of Fort Pierce since 1974, both for his own pleasure and part-time as a charter boat captain. He is very familiar with the Oculina Bank, having fished there for twenty years. He had to stop going there in 1994 when the area was closed to grouper and snapper fishing. Despite the closure, the grouper fishery has continued to decline, which Conlon attributes to commercial longlining. In Conlon's opinion, closing the Oculina Bank has proved that closed areas are not an effective fishery management area: the kingfishery has recuperated not by closing an area but by managing the breeding stock. He believes that size limits and closed seasons are the best options. One of his primary concerns is freshwater runoff in the Indian River Lagoon, which is a large spawning area. In this interview, Conlon also describes some of his fishing techniques and practices.
Keywords
Charter boat captains, Interviews, Charter boat fishing, Fisheries, Fishers, Fishery closures, Fishery management, Fishing
Extent
00:40:42; 22 page transcript
Subject: geographic
Ft. Pierce (Fla.)
Language
English
Media Type
Oral histories
Format
Digital Only
Identifier
O6-00028
Recommended Citation
Conlon, John M., "John Conlon Oral History Interview" (2010). Oculina Bank Oral History Project. 24.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/oculina_ohp/24
Rights Statement
