VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – New beach parking charges and rules went into place in Volusia County on Jan. 1, and since then, commercial fishermen say it’s had a big impact on business.
They’re asking the county to meet in the middle and find a solution.
A group with NSB Shark Hunters told News 6 it is both the cost and the parking hours that are affecting them.
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“We don’t understand why there cannot be a permit or some sort of pass made for a commercial fisherman or a surf fishing guide that is a legitimate business,” said Dustin Smith, owner of the company.
The NSB Shark Hunters catch sharks, tag them for NOAA research, and then release them. They also offer fishing charters for tourists targeting other species.
The fishers are encountering issues at various beach fishing locations, which they say is detrimental to their charters.
“Everywhere we’re fishing we’re having the issue which is hurting our charters and is unfortunately going to lead down a long path of not being able to receive charters,” Tyler Witkowski, also with NSB Shark Hunters, said.
With 95% of their clients coming from out of state, Smith said the additional parking fees are becoming a burden. Non-Volusia County residents now pay $20 per day for parking and cannot park between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
“If you brought three separate vehicles, it’s $20 plus tax, it’s a little over $60 to park after they paid almost $1,000 for a charter, and that just becomes a problem when they show up,” Witkowski said.
The restricted parking hours also pose a safety hazard, as the fishers typically catch sharks overnight.
“They’re now enforcing the parking lots to shut down at 11 p.m., which actually forces any surf fishing guide or commercial fisherman to have to fish with the beachgoers and the swimmers, which we’re trying to avoid,” Smith said.
The fishers are asking the county to issue permits to those conducting business on the beach.
“We don’t want to have conflicts with people on the beach or in the water. We just try to avoid the situation altogether but we are in a sense being forced to have to fish while people are here on the beach,” Smith said.
A group of fishers attended the county council meeting last week, where several council members acknowledged the need for change. The council plans to touch on it again at their meeting next week to discuss a plan moving forward after staff conduct further research.
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