Pasco Extended Scallop Season Not Gonna Happen
Pasco extended scallop season not gonna happen. Hold the butter! Scalloping season in Pasco County will not be extended this summer, despite the push from tourism officials and Pasco County….
Pasco extended scallop season not gonna happen. Hold the butter! Scalloping season in Pasco County will not be extended this summer, despite the push from tourism officials and Pasco County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which regulates scallop harvesting, has decided that it is in the long-term interest of scallop populations to keep the season shorter.
Pasco County officials reported record-high scallop hauls last year, generating an estimated $1.2 million in economic impact. With this success, local leaders urged for a longer scalloping season, but the commission insists that last year's haul may not be a good indicator of what to expect for the 2023 season.
Carly Jones, a spokesperson for the commission, explained that the scallop population abundance fluctuates annually, and as such, monitoring the harvest is more important than population monitoring. Recent studies suggest that the current level of harvest may be approaching a limit in the near future, and thus, monitoring the harvest is crucial.
Pasco County Commission chairperson Jack Mariano agrees with the need for monitoring, but he believes the commission has reached the wrong conclusion. Pasco had an average of 10.4 scallops per 200 square meters, which is comparable to other counties with longer scalloping seasons. Mariano is urging local legislators to take steps to support the scalloping harvest in Pasco and believes that the state should get out of the way of economic boosters like scallop harvesting.
Wendy Longman, owner of Windsong Charters and a member of Pasco’s Tourist Development Council, understands the need for monitoring and supports further studies into the local scallop population. While her fellow boat captains want an expanded season, she recognizes that any decision should be based on data, not emotion.
The annual scallop harvest season varies along the Gulf Coast based on studies of population health, and the commission has decided that a longer scallop season is not in the best interest of the scallop population. Pasco scallop lovers may be disappointed this summer, but the decision to keep the scalloping season shorter is ultimately for the long-term good of the scallop population. TBT
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
50 High-Paying Tampa Bay Jobs That Don’t Require College Degree
50 high-paying Tampa Bay jobs that don't require a College Degree. All the kids in High School hear it over and over and over again. Get a degree to get a good gig. Right? Well, our friends at Stacker went to the Labor Stats folks to put together a nice list of high-paying Tampa Bay jobs that do not require a college degree. We can start with Radio DJ, right? Check it out...
50. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $54,860
49. Correctional officers and jailers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $54,940
48. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $55,060
47. Industrial machinery mechanics
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $55,080
46. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $55,100
45. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $56,340
44. Private detectives and investigators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $56,630
43. Riggers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $56,950
42. Sound engineering technicians
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $57,000
41. Occupational health and safety technicians
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $57,270
40. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $57,340
39. Real estate sales agents
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $57,750
38. Chefs and head cooks
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $58,180
37. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $58,440
36. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $60,100
35. Construction and building inspectors
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $60,320
34. Insurance sales agents
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $60,690
33. Crane and tower operators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $60,850
32. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $61,100
31. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $61,130
30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $61,430
29. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $63,440
28. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $64,290
27. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $64,460
26. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $67,200
24 (tie). Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $67,280
24 (tie). Insurance appraisers, auto damage
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $67,280
23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $69,010
22. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $69,020
21. Food service managers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $71,330
20. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $71,740
19. Flight attendants
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $72,130
18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $72,790
17. Fire inspectors and investigators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $72,830
16. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $73,600
15. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $74,090
14. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $74,430
13. Power distributors and dispatchers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $77,550
12. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $79,040
11. Ship engineers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $82,480
10. Detectives and criminal investigators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $85,460
9. Power plant operators
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $86,510
8. Lodging managers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $91,950
7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $93,070
6. Transportation inspectors
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $93,120
5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $97,930
4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $99,070
3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $99,470
2. Commercial pilots
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $113,940
1. Athletes and sports competitors
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
– Annual mean salary: $141,900
