With signs in hand, stickers plastered on shirts and groups carrying banners, the message was the same — “I FISH, I VOTE.”
Those were the words shouted by the more than 4,000 fishermen and friends gathered Wednesday afternoon at one of the demonstration areas in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Panama City, Mexico Beach and Destin were represented with more than 35 captains and deckhands, many who spent 18 hours on a bus traveling to Washington. About 20 of them had flown in for the rally.
“This is amazing,” said Capt. Mike Eller of Destin as he looked out over the crowd. “I think this is a clear indication at what kind of reach the Magnuson Stevens Act is having across America,” said Eller, who docks his charter boat Lady Em behind Harbor Docks in Destin.