Coronavirus Impact: Florida Keys Fishing Charters Struggle Without Tourists
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The coronavirus pandemic has South Florida's fishing charter businesses dead in the water. In the Florida Keys, they are hurting without tourists.
Captain Marlin Scott's FishMonster Charters in Key West has a fleet of four vessels that operate out of the A&B Marina. He has not seen a tourist in quite a while.
Captain Scott says, "There is no way in the world that the local population can support a fleet that was built on one of the best years ever the last few years have been a huge market. Boats that have been bought. Investment. You can't support that on the local."
Key West is pretty much open for business, but the local market is not enough to support the FishMonster overhead, much less what small staff is left.
"We have had locals who have wanted to get out. They have been in their homes too much. When they get on the boat, oh my gosh they are so excited to get out on the water," Scott says.
The captain says he's getting requests for booking starting almost immediately but clients can't get into the keys. Shut off by a checkpoint, where only residents are allowed in. That is possibly the reason the Keys have such a low occurrence of the coronavirus.
"That will help us greatly when they decide to open up U.S-1. It is slated to be closed all of May. We don't know if it will be one in June. Once open, I know you have seen when the boat ramps open we will some flow for sure!" said Scott.
This crowd is used to hurricanes, but never a worldwide pandemic.
"I have got to be optimistic. I am not going to be down here on an island and being sad. So, I am going to be happy."
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