Red and white means diver down

On January 9, Rob Murphy was struck by a boat while scuba diving near Stuart. He lost both his legs below the knees. he knee. The state's scuba diving community has turned their frustration into a call to arms.

"We believe boaters come too close to divers because they don’t understand the law" said John Dickinson, owner of Scuba Works dive shop in Jupiter.

On January 31 the scuba diving community is organizing a statewide Dive Flag Awareness Day. Volunteers from all over state will man the public boat ramps and distribute brochures that explain the state law which requires all boaters to stay 300 feet away from a diver’s flag.

In addition the brochure reminds divers to carry and display the required flags. Information about Dive Flag law can be obtained from the FWC at myfwc.com.

The volunteers will also be giving out a bumper sticker that states 300 ft  It’s the Law Save a Life. More than 200 volunteers are covering more than 20 public ramps from Key West to Destin.

The organizers hope to make this an annual event. A petition requesting Governor Crist to officially declare an annual Dive Flag Awareness Day has been in circulation and will be available for signature with each volunteer.

For more information contact Chad Carney at (727) 423-7775.

Record number of manatees

Manatee numbers are up, according to a recent count by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The FWC's Wildlife Research Institute counted 3,807 manatees statewide.

A team of 21 observers from nine organizations counted 2,153 manatees on Florida’s East Coast and 1,654 on the West Coast of the state. This year’s count exceeded the previous high count from 2001 by more than 500 animals.

This is good news for manatees appear to be increasing in Northwest Florida, along the Atlantic Coast and on the upper St. Johns River.

Researchers have been conducting the annual survey since 1991. Biologists tend to count the most manatees during the coldest months of the year, when the animals gather at warm-water sites, such as local power plants.

For more information about manatees, go to http://floridaconservation.org/. To report a dead or injured manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

Feds want halt to longlining

Recreational anglers won't see grouper longline boats off the coast for a while. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's reef fish advisory committee voted Tuesday to move longline boats to 300 feet of water beginning this summer.

Industry insiders say this could deliver a hammering blow to the financially strained longline fleet which catches most of its fish much closer to shore.

Regulators are concerned about the fate of the Gulf's sea turtles. In 2006, NMFS began placing official observers aboard longline vessels used in fishing for sharks and grouper. During the study, which lasted a year and a half, federal observers went along on 34 fishing trips and documented 18 hooked sea turtles. Some of the turtles were dead, some comatose and some alive but injured.

Based on these numbers, federal officials estimate that each year, about 974 sea turtles are caught on longlines. Of those, 433 were released alive, 325 were released dead or unresponsive, and the remaining 216, were listed as unknown.

The Gulf Council is expected to move on the recommendation tomorrow.

Fish between cold fronts

Steve Papen doesn't let the cooler temperatures keep him landlocked. While many anglers let the winter weather keep them close to shore, Papen, who runs Fintastic Charters out of Madeira Beach, isn't afraid to venture out of sight of land.

"You just have to watch the weather and pick your shots," said Papen who fishes for everything from grouper to amberjack. "I try to time my trips in between the cold fronts."

Papen typically fishes anywhere from 40 to 100 miles offshore, in depths ranging from 125 to 450 feet. "Some of that is out of reach of your average Joe, but if you plan it right, you can get to some of the closer shots," he said.

Papen and his customers have been catching their limit of grouper in recent weeks. He prefers live bait - pinfish, squirrel fish and grunts - and the formula seems to be working.

With the season for gag grouper closing Feb. 1, anglers still have a chance get offshore and get in the bite. To learn more about deep-water offshore adventure, contact Steve Papen at Fintastic Charters.

Hunter killed in Putnam County

A 25-year-old Orange Springs man was killed Sunday in Putnam County while hog hunting with a friend. According to a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Eric Kisielewski died after being hit with a blast from a 12-Gauge shotgun.

According to the hunting partner, 33-year-old William R. Goethe of Ocala, the two men were hunting wild pigs in heavy brush when the shotgun went off. Goethe was carrying the gun while Kisielewski walked ahead of him.

According to the FWC spokeswoman, Joy Hill, the investigation is ongoing. "At this point it looks like an accident," she said.

Hill said she did not know if either of the men had taken a hunter's education course. But one would not have been required, since they were hunting pig on private land and a hunting license is not required.

Florida residents born after May 31, 1975 must complete a hunter education course before they can get a license to hunt on public land. As of Aug. 1, 2006, hunters 16 years or older can get an hunters education exemption if they hunt with a licensed hunter, 21-years or older. For more information on hunter safety go to http://myfwc.com/hunting.

Sea turtles and longlines

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet Jan. 26-29 in Bay St. Louis, Miss. to discuss the future of longline fishing in Florida's offshore waters. A recent federal report that shows that hundreds of sea turtles are dieing each year on longlines has prompted authorities to take action.

A consortium of environmental groups and the state's leading sportfishing organization, the Coastal Conservation Association, has called for immediate action. The State of Florida has also urged the Gulf Council to address the issue.

"The FWC has previously considered the impacts of bottom long line gear in the larger context of sustainable fishing," Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote Jan. 13 in a letter addressed to the Gulf Council. "In 2001 we requested that the Council move long line fishing out to 50-fathoms. The FWC position at the time was based on a concern about the overall impact of this gear and the need to constrain commercial harvest. The recent information concerning sea turtles reinforces that longstanding position."

The CCA is urging its members and other concerned individuals to e-mail Dr. Thomas McIllwain, chairman of the GMFMC at gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org.

Get ready now for Miami Boat Show

  The nation's boat industry has been rocked by the downturn in the economy, so with sales down, manufactures are ready to wheel and deal. Consumers looking for a bargain boat should find plenty of boats to choose from when the 68th Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail opens its doors Feb. 12.

The Miami Boat Show, the largest event of its kind, is less than a month away. Rooms for this world-class event typically book up a month in advance, so make your reservations now. Early reports indicate that dealers and manufacturers will be looking to unload last year's inventory to make room for 2009 models. This could be the best time in more than a decade to buy a new boat.

Here are a few tips for first-time boat buyers or veteran boaters looking to upgrade to a larger vessel:

Plan your day. Make a list of the manufacturers that you want to visit, then hit them one by one. Take notes so you can compare standard equipment and options.

Don't buy the first boat you see. Look around. The Miami Boat Show will have hundreds of models on display, you might find three or four models that suit your needs.

Once you decide on a boat, don't be afraid to haggle. The sticker price is just that. The bottom line might be something entirely different.

Sailing enthusiasts will also enjoy Strictly Sail Miami, which runs concurrent with the Miami Boat Show. The shows run Feb. 12-16 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center and the Miami Marina at Bayside.

Party time

With water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico plunging with each passing cold front, the grouper have moved close to shore, well within reach of recreational anglers.

But you don't need a go-fast boat and a lot of high-tech gear to get offshore this time of year. The West Coast has many great party boats that make half- and full-day trips. If you time it right and sneak in a trip between fronts, you might just bring home a keeper gag.

Party boats are not for everyone. You have to have an open mind - the captain picks the spots. You also have to be willing to "share the rail," with other anglers. But most party boats have enough room that you won't be constantly untangling lines.

Many hardcore private boat fishermen would never consider a party boat. But these multipassenger vessels are a worth a try.

"We never come home empty-handed," said Randy Coffman, captain of the Miss Pass-a-Grille, which leaves from the Merry Pier on St. Pete Beach.

Coffman said he has regulars, such as Pete Caspary, who hauled in this gag on a recent trip. "Somehow, he always manages to catch fish."

Kayaker paddles around the state

Matthew Keene, a 23-year-old from Cocoa Beach, has become the first person to complete the state's 1,600-mile saltwater kayaking trial. Keene, who paddled around the entire Florida peninsula, finished at Big Lagoon State Park last week. The Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, which now has segments around the entire state, was mapped and developed by the Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Greenways and Trails.

Designated as a National Recreational Trail, the Florida Circumnavigation Saltwater Paddling Trail follows the Florida peninsula from Pensacola around the Keys to the Georgia border. Often described as the saltwater version of the Appalachian Trail, the trail highlights 37 of Florida’s 41 aquatic preserves and offers paddlers access to many state, national and local parks, seashores, wildlife refuges, marine sanctuaries and historic sites.

DEP’s Office of Greenways an Trails manages eight state trails, in addition to the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, Florida’s longest green corridor stretching 110 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico near Inglis. Of the eight state trails, six are rail-trails, which are railroad corridors converted to recreational trails for hiking, biking, skating and equestrian activities. Through Florida Forever, the state’s premier land acquisition program, $4.5 million is allocated annually to purchase and preserve land for Florida’s greenways and trails.

For more information on the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, go to paddle Florida.

Florida leads the nation

  Florida leads the nation when it comes to dollars spent on saltwater fishing. According to a new study by the National Oceanic and Atompsheric Administration's Fisheries Service, Florida anglers spent more than five times as much as the number two state, Texas.

In 2006, the country's saltwater fishermen contributed more than $31 billion to the U.S. economy, with anglers in Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana and North Carolina leading the way.

Fishermen spent $5.8 billion on trip-based expenses, such as ice, bait, and fuel, and another $25.6 billion on fishing equipment, including rods, reels, tackle and boats.

The top saltwater fishing states were as follows: Florida ($16.7 billion), Texas ($3.2 billion), California ($3.0 billion), Louisiana ($2.9 billion), and North Carolina ($2.0 billion).

The $31.4 billion in total U.S. expenditures supported nearly 534,000 jobs.

The Economic Contribution of Marine Angler Expenditures in the United States 2006 is available online at: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st5/index.html