# Captain Elliott’s announced they are liquidating the business



## fishdoc1 (May 22, 2004)

Proposed regulations force business to change

By Terry Hagerty
The Facts

Published January 28, 2007

For about $100 each, people can board one of Captain Elliott's Party Boats in Freeport and spend half a day with their fishing lines dropped into the Gulf of Mexico. From the deep waters, anglers can pull in blackfin and yellowfin tuna, grouper, amberjack and other sport fish, and perhaps even a shark.

A good bit of Captain Elliott's business, though, comes from people who pay their money for a chance at snaring some red snapper. Elliott Cundieff calls it the lifeblood of the Gulf fishing industry.

Restrictions on catching that prize fish, however, are bringing an end to Captain Elliott's party.

Snapper shut

About 20,000 recreational fisherman board Captain Elliott's boats during red snapper season, which already is limited by the federal government to six months out of the year - from May to October. Those fishermen are further restricted in the number of red snapper they can catch to no more than four.

Those regulations take a bite out of the company's ability to make money, Cundieff said.

"The closed season is the biggest problem for us," Cundieff said. "Ninety-five percent of our revenues from our fishing boats come from our recreational fishing."

When they heard the National Marine Fisheries Service wants to decrease the daily limit on red snapper to two, the owners of Captain Elliott's decided they have had enough. On Thursday, the owners - Elliott Cundieff, his son, Casey, and daughter Lari Scott - announced they are liquidating the business.

"We can't operate boats without catching more red snapper," Elliott Cundieff said. "We made our decision to close the recreational fishing based on a two-fish limit we think will occur, and a six-month season. Are you going to pay $95 per person to go 40 miles out on a recreational trip in the Gulf to catch one or two fish?"

While photos on the company's Web site show customers posing with sharks and large tuna, it's the red snapper that pays the bills, Cundieff said.

"The profit margin has been shrinking for us for quite a few years," Cundieff said of his business, which was bought from the Muchowich family in 1976. "Every year there's more cost and less time to fish."

Defending limits

Roy Crabtree, regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service's southeast office, said the stringent red snapper regulations are needed, pointing to the opening statement of the Department of Commerce's position on the red snapper dilemma: "The Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock is overfished."

"Recreational and commercial fishermen are mainly catching red snapper that are three and four years old," Crabtree said. "That's very young, because red snapper live to be 50 years old and there's not a lot of older fish being caught, which means they are being depleted."

Crabtree said the current restrictions are helping but not enough.

"We've made a little progress, but too many red snappers are still being taken," he said. "If we can bring down the totals for three to four years, then maybe we can allow them to go back up. It's short-term pain for fishermen, but we'll rebuild stock."

Crabtree also emphasized implementation of the proposed stricter regulations is not necessarily a "slam dunk."

"We're reviewing public comment from thousands of citizens, and we haven't made a final decision," Crabtree said. "We hope to have a final rule by end of February."

But Cundieff said he has problems with the federal government's numbers and their computer models used to calculate the red snapper population.

A study paper titled "The Snapper Manifesto" by Thomas J. Hilton, a board member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, detailed contradictions of what two federal agencies consider to be the actual number of red snapper 2 years old and younger in the Gulf. In 2002, the Fisheries Service estimated there were only 4 million red snapper in that age range, yet the U.S. Geological Survey stated there were 8 million on Gulf oil platforms alone.

"I don't think they know what's out there," Cundieff said.

'A huge loss'

Captain Elliott's decision to shut down its recreational fishing operation will hurt local tourism revenues, Freeport City Manager Ron Bottoms said.

"It's a huge loss for our city and its tourism," Bottoms said. "Captain Elliott's is one of the really good destinations for people visiting Freeport. It is a key part of our efforts to attract tourists. The Elliotts are such a super family and it will be a terrible loss."

Captain Mark's Seafood in Freeport is one of those businesses that will feel the loss.

"Captain Elliott's has a huge volume of people going through there, and they are a huge contributor to our local economy," owner Mark Friudenberg said. "My business thrives because of people coming to my market to buy fish on their way from Captain Elliott's."

Last hurrah

When the recreational fishing season resumes Thursday, Captain Elliott's will be open for business as usual, but it's not clear whether it will remain in operation until the season ends.

"We will provide the same trips as we have in the recent past and continue to work to make our fishing trips as successful as they have always been," Casey Cundieff wrote in an e-mail statement sent to The Facts. "We will avoid selling any boats during the middle of the fishing season, but that may or may not be possible."

The business will sell all its fishing vessels and their permits, the e-mail states, a process that could take two years or longer. Casey Cundieff wrote that Captain Elliott's would continue to "do business as usual until the final boat is sold."

Captain Elliott's will continue its crewboat operations in which they haul personnel and materials to offshore drilling platforms, Cundieff said.

Late Friday afternoon, Elliott Cundieff stood by the Big E, the 133-foot fishing boat named for him that was unveiled less than two years ago. At the time, Captain Elliott's said it was the largest and fastest boat of its kind in the Gulf of Mexico.

"This one might be the hardest to sell," he said, managing a smile. "It's the most expensive boat I have."


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## saltwater_therapy (Oct 14, 2005)

*a sad day*

good people over there at capt elliots. sorry to see them go.


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## TexasDux (May 21, 2004)

they won't be the only one's selling their botes with a 2 snapper limit. you'll see some recs selling theirs also.


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## HonkyFin (May 28, 2004)

Sounds like our Uncle Sam needs to do a lil more fishing on the coast.
Cuz obviously he dont know what he is talking about !!

Funny how the Commercial guys get all the allotments and thta the Rec guys get the boot in the ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS


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## ABEL (Aug 28, 2006)

THAT SUCKS!!!!! We used to fish TEXAN II ,alot. We have many many good memories!! Made lots of good friends!! THIS WILL BE A HUGE LOSS NOT ONLY TO FREEPORT,TEXAS BUT ALL OF TEXAS.


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## Gamble (Oct 27, 2005)

*what a shame`*

This blows arse........I hate to see such a good thing come to an end. This'll have an impact far greater than we might initially think.


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## hunt2grill (Dec 1, 2006)

*A more personal side to the story...*

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=104940

This is the thread started by Casey C. on the Bluewater board it's a little more personal if you want more insight straight from the Captian Elliot Crew....


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