Is Gulf oil spill another nail in coffin of disappearing South Florida fishing industry?
By ELYSA BATISTA 05/09/10 Naplesnews.com NAPLES – Be it crabbing, shrimping or angling, fishing for a living takes a special kind of person. “You have to love what you do for a living,” said Everglades City resident Steve Huff, a sports fishing guide and charter boat captain for 42 years. Nowadays, commercial and recreational fishermen are facing a lot of pressure, he said. Between hurricanes trashing the shallows, the economy tanking and the recent cold winter, Huff said the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could be another nail in the coffin for those who make their living off Southwest Florida’s waters. “The oil would be tragic,” Huff said, adding he has friends in Louisiana who fear that the oil will destroy their livelihoods. “It is something people can do without,” he said of seafood. Fishing has always played a major role in Southwest Florida life. David Southall, curator of education at the Collier County Museum, said fishing in the area dates back 2,000 years, to the height of
