FISHBUSTERZ STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY ENSURES LONG-TERM STABILITY
FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN IN KEY WEST
Stock Island Fish Operation Sold
A longtime Florida Keys fisherman has purchased Bama Sea Products on Stock Islandˇ with plans to move most of the island's commercial fishing fleet to docks behind the fish house and market.

By Aug. 1, a commercial fishing fleet of 200 boats will move across Safe Harbor from the Fishbusterz docks and fish house on Shrimp Road to the Front Street property, said Charlie Renier, who now owns both the Fishbusterz and Bama properties. The purchase will ensure long-term stability for Stock Island's commercial fishermen, who fear a loss of the working waterfront to development of pricey condominiums, Renier said Thursday.

"I want to be able to handle all the commercial boats on this side [of the harbor]," he said. "I want to set up the fish house and make sure this is here forever."

Fishbusterz's commercial fleet accounts for about 75 percent of Stock Island's commercial fishing boats, while Peter Bacle's Stock Island Lobster Co. houses the remaining 25 percent.

Renier andˇ [partner] Eric Dickstein said they will create a state-of-the-art facility at the new site, where customers can watch fish being off-loaded from the boats to the market. Local chefs will be able to shop for seafood and get it delivered to their restaurants, they said. An 80-foot-long dock will be extended, and another will be added, with pedestrian walkways alongside moored shrimp, lobster and fishing boats.

"There's going to be huge public access to the working waterfront," Dickstein said.

Renier has preliminary plans to turn his [old] Fishbusterz property into a marina once the commercial fleet has moved. There are no plans for condominium developments there, he said. "My dad was a fisherman, and my heart's with the fishermen," said the Key Largo native, who started Fishbusterz 12 years agoˇ

05/25/2007
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA
AND BECKY IANNOTTA
Citizen Staff