CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Florida’s Space Coast is closing in on 70 launches this year, with more than 100 expected by year’s end. But what’s a boom for the space industry is creating new concerns for commercial fishermen.
Bob Zales, the Executive Director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association told us, the Coast Guard issues a restriction on navigation for the area where the launch is going to take place. He added, “ generally that restricted area comes into play several hours before the launch is scheduled.”
Those restricted zones impact everyone on the water — from cruise ships to charter boats. Capt. Joey Spoerle with Canaveral Kings Sport Fishing Charters said, “When there’s 15, 20, 25 launches a year, not a big deal.
But now that they’re pushing them more and expecting upwards of 200 in the future, that really, really affects us greatly when most of the time we can’t get to where we need to get to fish.” According to Zales, fishermen also report costly damage from debris.
“The damaged material that falls on the ocean bottom,” Zales said. “So, when the shrimpers are shrimping, they pick up this gear in their nets and naturally that then tears their nets up.”
Industry leaders are now asking lawmakers to consider a mitigation fund to help cover lost revenue.
“I have a Starlink myself. It’s awesome,” said Capt. Spoerle. “It’s space exploration. That’s what the Space Center is known for, and then the Space Coast. So that’s not going go away. We understand that. It’s just working with the rest of the community to find a happy medium where we can all coexist.”
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