Scott Bachman oral history interview

Oral history interview with commercial fisherman Scott Bachman. Bachman was a fisherman for twenty-five years, from 1975 to 2004. He stopped fishing due to the increased regulations, which were making it difficult for him to earn a living. He frequently fished the Oculina Bank when it was open and is very familiar with the area, which he describes as one of the best fishing grounds. Bachman does not like the use of closed areas to fishing, since it makes fishers work twice as hard for the same product. His preferred fishery management tools are closed seasons, quotas, or trip limits, as long as they are reasonable. Bachman thinks that commercial fishing is being overregulated to the point that there will soon not be any in the state of Florida, and that the people who make the rules do not take numerous factors into consideration. In this interview, Bachman also discusses his fishing history, the types of fish he caught, and the methods he used