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Editorial: Air Boats and the Golden Rule
February 2nd, 2004

Editorial: A Year of Opportunity
January 24th, 2004

Editorial: Sports on TV
January 15th, 2004

Editorial: Mad Cow Disease in the US
December 26th, 2003

Editorial: Jeb`s Water War
November 25th, 2003

Editorial: Citizen Input Needed
October 27th, 2003

Editorial: Congrats to Our Commission, Now We Must Help
October 17th, 2003

Editorial: Remember Owens Valley
September 29th, 2003

Editorial: Gold Plating Reality, Reconstruction Chic
September 21st, 2003

Editorial: The Responsiblities of a Journalist
August 27th, 2003

Editorial: A Fable: The Great Guano Concord
July 24th, 2003

Editorial: Music for Children
May 26th, 2003

Editorial: Speak Out
May 15th, 2003

Editorial: Parking: Our Biggest Problem?
May 2nd, 2003

Editorial: Vote and Vote Well
April 22nd, 2003

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Orders From the Top

Orders From the Top

Editorial

A recent press release by the top dog in the Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Charles Bronson, said that he had ordered the arrest of two young Cedar Key men for stealing clams. It is about time! After many reports of clam poaching and thefts of clam seed, and a formal request from the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, Commissioner Bronson assigned an investigator to the poaching problem. That was about two years ago.


The press release mentioned the difficulty in catching poachers. Yet for nearly two years promises that the, Division of Agriculture Law Enforcement would have a boat for its investigator have not been fulfilled. The most recent promise was that there would be a boat by July 1, presumably in the year 2004. The most recent report is that a boat is being built. If Noah had been this slow....


The press release mentioned theft of clams worth more than $40,000. In Cedar Key; that is big money. Furthermore, stolen clams are no doubt sold below the market price. That undercuts the price of legitimate and properly processed clams sold by clam farmers. The victims of clam poaching suffer serious economic damage. So does every clam farmer that must compete with cheap stolen clams.


The $2500 reward for information leading to arrests for poaching is not enough. Let`s hope that Commissioner Bronson will devote enough resources, personnel and boats to severely reduce clam poaching.

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