mayport

Once again we are upon the cross roads Jaxport vs. Environment, A 2007 report by the U.S. Geological Survey identified boat collisions as the top long-term threat to manatees, which weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can be 10 feet long. In Florida, watercraft strikes killed 73 manatees in 2007 and have caused 60 deaths through July 31 this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It's unusual for multiple manatees to turn up dead in the same place at roughly the same time, said Charles Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Jacksonville, Fla. But it can happen, he said, when manatees are trying to mate and may be distracted from approaching vessels. With the increase shipping at our ports Jacksonville can expect to see many more deaths from ships plowing through the water like a locomotive leaving no escape for the manatee due to the size of the ship and the draft they draw. Most manatees are sucked into the massive props of the ships and die a painful death. almost like a car running over you on a busy intersection with no way to run. Jimmy buffet feels these deaths could have been avoided if Jaxport took the time to monitor the mating habits of the marine animals, ships could very very slow down their speeds as well as the large tugs. Once these manatees are out of the way it will be business as before its sad for the manatee's but a cruise ship in jacksonville is more important than a manatee as indicated by jaxport

Once again Jaxport and nancy rubin spin machine has lied to the public, remember at the first meeting in mayport jaxport said it would not put a cruise ship in jacksonville unless it had a twenty year committment from carnival cruise lines, well at te planning session at the uso club gave us a different story.one jaxport official at the meeting told me that carnival refused to give jacksonville a twenty year committment and that taxpayers would have to foot the 60 million dollar bill not the cruise lines. carnival would not use shore power, jaxport says no way was they going to add shore power because of the ship emmissions.  jaxport is determined to bully jacksonville regardless of the health cost or risk it poses on our environment.

Its. hard to believe that Jaxport would rather employ non u.s. flagged ships over american u.s.flaged ships when reports have highlighted government findings that foreign flag ships and crews dominate U.S. trade routes, accounting for 87% of the visits to U.S. ports in 2008. The reports have found that as the U.S. pursues its war on terror with heavy emphasis on homeland security and protection of its ports and intermodal infrastructure, the almost complete collapse of a U.S. flag merchant shipping fleet since World War II and the overwhelming presence of foreign flag ships and crews in U.S. ports present a clear and present threat.

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Jacksonville should protect the oldest fishing village in mayport and not give in to the collusion of the cruise ship industry and jaxport attempt to destroy a working waterfront. cruise ships polute the environment and rick ferrin of jaxport refusal to use  shore power to reduce ship emissions that been proven to kill over 60,000 a year and the damage to the oceans ego system,and the fact that plans for more than one cruise ship should raise red flags especially when we destroy a fishing industry.Message From Commissioner Charles H. Bronson
Dear Friend:
Seafood is an important part of our state's heritage and economy. Florida is a
source of excellent seafood, aquaculture and marine life products. Florida's
fishermen harvest 98 different types of seafood on a commercial scale with 2005
cash receipts totaling more than $165 million. Florida aquaculture producers
farm a vast array of products with sales totaling $75 million in 2005. Tropical
fish, aquatic plants and clams are the top three aquaculture operations. Florida
seafood and aquaculture has an economic impact estimated at more than $1.3
billion annually.
As Commissioner of Agriculture, it's my job to help promote Florida seafood,
aquaculture and agricultural products and expand markets for our state's
fishermen and growers. This is increasingly important in today's competitive
global economy.
Key to our marketing effort is the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign, or
FAPC. This program, established by the Florida Legislature in 1990, is a joint
venture between the private sector and the Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services. The FAPC membership is made up of more than 3,700 fishermen,
farmers, shippers, distributors, retailers and allied members.
Members are entitled to use the distinctive "Fresh from Florida" logo to
identify and promote their Florida-produced and harvested products to consumers
in domestic and foreign markets. The logo appears in television and print
campaigns, on packaging and point-of-purchase materials, and is prominently
displayed in the Department's exhibits at trade missions and events.
Each year, our Department's marketing representatives work with retail
supermarket executives to further the efforts of the FAPC and secure and create
new markets for Florida producers, fishermen, shippers and wholesalers of
Florida products.
In addition, our marketing reps conduct foreign trade missions to help to
increase exports of Florida products. They also use other trade events to
showcase Florida products to buyers from around the world.
If you are involved in any aspect of Florida seafood, aquaculture or
agriculture, I encourage you to join the FAPC.
Thank you for visiting Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing web site here
atwww.FL-Seafood.com. I hope you find this site useful. And please remember to
look for the "Fresh from Florida" label.
 Sincerely,CHARLES H. BRONSON

Those who go down to the sea in ships – or go to see them in port – may soon be not be able to breathe easier as they thought they would or at least in Jacksonville. Scientists have made the first measurements of ship emissions involving particles less than a millionth of a meter in size. They say it’s an important step in establishing and monitoring the effectiveness of air-pollution regulations for ships.

Until now, researchers in port cities have had a hard time figuring out what proportion of fine sulfate particles come from ships burning high-sulfur bunker oil, compared to the diesel trucks or trains that serve the cities. These fine particles are less than 1-millionth of a meter across. Once inhaled, these particles stay put, researchers say, constituting a potential public-health hazard.

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