Miami, Florida — Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a senior member of the Florida Congressional Delegation, will meet tomorrow Friday, November 7^th with Dr. Roy Crabtree, a NOAA official and member of the South Atlantic Fishery Council, regarding the ban on grouper fishing put in place by the Council.

Ros-Lehtinen is an outspoken opponent of this ban because she believes it will prove to be economically devastating to Miami-Dade and Monroe County fishermen. The Congresswoman has written to Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, whose agency has jurisdiction over the Fisheries Council, and she also held a conference call with the Secretary and interested parties to try and reach an agreement acceptable to all sides.

The meeting with Dr. Crabtree will take place tomorrow Friday, November 7^th at 11:30 AM at the offices of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, located at 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Key Biscayne, Florida.

Said Ros-Lehtinen: “I will relay the urgency of this issue to Dr. Crabtree because our fishermen are facing unprecedented economic hardship and need our government’s help, not more obstacles and regulations.”