Fishing guides who make their living in the waters of Everglades National Park plan to protest the park’s closure due to the federal government shutdown on Wednesday, the Florida Keys News Bureau reported.
Organizers expect to bring together more than 100 protesters on boats, kayaks and paddleboards for the rally. It will be held at 1 p.m. in Cowpens Channel, a part of the Intracoastal Waterway, near the eastern boundary of Everglades National Park near Islamorada.
The park has been closed – on land and on the water – since the shutdown began last Tuesday.
“We didn’t do anything wrong to cause this, and we’re being penalized on our income,” fishing guide Randy Towe of Islamorada said.
He estimated that 100 guides are not able to go fishing because of the closure and are losing about $600 a day each. . .