I agree completely. I've been hooked by one of those assholes on the bridge. Wish he had fallen off so I could have gotten ahold of him.
Here's what I wrote to her:
Dr. Botel,
I’m a Floridian who frequently visits your district to dive under blue heron bridge. For the past eight years I’ve driven across the state once or twice every month to enjoy the privilege. When in the area I stay at local hotels, and frequent local restaurants and businesses. I’m writing to ask you to support Jim Abernathy’s initiative to end fishing from the bridge. Although frequently divers and anglers can easily co-exist, it doesn’t work at this location. I’ve been hooked deliberately by an angler who hauled me to the surface. By the time I got out of the water and notified the police, the perpetrator was long gone. Even though I’m not a resident in your district, I do regularly bring tourist dollars to it. Please help keep what is renowned as the United States best dive site a safe one.
Imagine if there was a dive site like BHB in Largo, Florida and you used it frequently. Imagine the same conflict, fishing vs. diving. Imagine an individual from Palm Beach County lobbying your local council person to restrict your access to diving the site, because this individual drives across the state and spends money at local hotels, and doesn't want your diving interfering with his fishing.