Council Members with Financial Ties to Vote on Reopening Protected Coral Reef to Shrimp Trawling
A vote this week could reinstate shrimp trawling for the first time in decades in a protected area off the coast of Fort Pierce, despite opposition from scientists and conservationists who warn it could devastate one of the world’s rarest coral reefs.
Records obtained by WFLX show at least seven of the 13 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council members who will vote on the proposal have disclosed financial conflicts of interest related to the fishing and shrimping industry.
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