Mutiny: Retired Navy captain plans blockade to protest closure of Florida waters
Mutiny: Retired Navy captain plans blockade to protest closure of Florida waters
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Patricia Campion
Policy & Issues ExaminerOctober 7, 2013
“As you are well aware,” wrote Retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Geoff Ross -- in a message posted by Fred Brownbill on Save America Foundation Sunday -- the federal government “has illegally and unconstitutionally closed state fishing and navigational waters within the 12 mile boundary of state waters.”
When logging onto the U.S. Department of Interior website, visitors are greeted with this message, posted Oct. 1 by the National Park Service:Because of the federal government shutdown, all national parks are closed and National Park Service webpages are not operating. For more information, go to www.doi.gov.
Citing Examiner’s report from Saturday – “Feds close Florida oceans: Florida Bay Charter owner says ‘they’re killing us'” -- Ross is now calling for “every charter boat fisherman across Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama (who is able) to get his or her vessels ready for underway for a coordinated mission to recover your stolen rights as Americans.”I want 1000 to 2000 charter boats filling the water way that was closed and confiscated illegally by President Obama under his White House order. DEFY IT ! Its illegal.
“I’m going to fill my waterway with boats,” Ross told Examiner Monday. “Charter boats, rowboats, canoes, kayaks, I don’t care.”Just fill it. We’re going to fill it.
This will not be the first time Ross has helped organize a show of mutiny over the closing of Florida’s fishing waters.
“I’ve done this before,” Ross said.
On Nov. 7, 2009, more than 100 boats -- including about 70 charter boats – gathered to form a blockade of Destin's East Pass in Fort Walton, Fla. to protest the closure of "snapper season on September 20, 2009 and the amberjack season on October 24, 2009” by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The flotilla -- organized by the Destin Charter Boat Association – was assisted by Ross.
Ross told Examiner that the event was also attended by a couple of Coast Guard vessels.
“But they didn’t try to stop us at all,” Ross said. “They knew I wasn’t going to stand down.”And now I’m going to do it again.
While Ross said he has already received “quite a few” calls,” he is coordinating with fishing charter boat captains in South Florida’s Hernando County to determine what day would best suit their schedules to launch the new show-of-force blockade.
Ross said it will take about a week to pull everything together.
Ross also told Examiner that he has been discussing the matter with Florida Gov. Rick Scott.
“He’s a good friend of mine,” Ross assured. “I have talked to him personally”I have sent an action requirement to his chief of staff and they are currently looking at it as we speak.
“I just got off phone with Gov. Scott,” Ross added, “and he’s looking into legal action against Obama.”
After contacting Gov. Scott’s office, Scott’s press secretary -- Jackie Schutz – told Examiner by email:We will get back to you on this.
“The Florida Constitution is very clear in that ownership of all the all navigable waters in the State is in the people as individual State Citizens in their united Sovereignty,” Ross wrote Sunday.
As Ross told Examiner Monday, government shutdown or not, "the federal government has no authority to shut down state waters -- period."
Ross appears to be correct.
Article X, §11 of the Florida Constitution states:SECTION 11. Sovereignty lands.—The title to lands under navigable waters, within the boundaries of the state, which have not been alienated, including beaches below mean high water lines, is held by the state, by virtue of its sovereignty, in trust for all the people. Sale of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when in the public interest. Private use of portions of such lands may be authorized by law, but only when not contrary to the public interest.
As Ross noted further Sunday, “the Florida Supreme Court spoke to this” by its ruling in the case of Odom v. Deltona Corp. on Nov. 30, 1976.
In reviewing this case, Find Law.com concluded:
The rights of the people of the states in the navigable waters and the lands thereunder, including the shore or space between ordinary high and low waters marks, relate to navigation, commerce, fishing, bathing, and other easements allowed by law. These rights are designed to promote the general welfare and are subject to lawful regulation by the states, and such regulation is subordinate to the powers of Congress as to interstate commerce, navigation, post roads, etc., and to the constitutional guaranties of private property rights.
“DO not fear,” Ross wrote Sunday, “we must come in force. I will lead the first boat across the line if you so choose but this honor must go to a Charter Boat Captain.”The feds will stand down just like they did in DC at the World War II memorial when Obama barricaded it off. We now have Patriots’ Guard and Vets protecting this site.
As GOP USA reported Friday, “the Obama administration officially” backed down on the WWII Memorial closure.
Asked if his protest flotilla will also cause the administration to back down from its closure of Florida’s fishing waters, Ross had but one thing to say.
I’ll make it happen.
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