The Southern Offshore Fishing Association is a non-profit organization founded 30 years ago in Madeira Beach, Florida to promote both the fishermen working in the commercial fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and their products...

  Our initial focus was that of a consumer awareness group. Our initial intent was to inform the public about fresh Florida Seafood being produced by Gulf of Mexico fishermen and to protect or improve the public perception of both the fishermen and their product. In its early years, S.O.F.A. enjoyed much success in this endeavor and spent a number of years being primarily a social club but have always kept the interests of the fishermen and the education of the public about our fishery at the top of our agenda. Over the past three decades we have found ourselves increasingly becoming a fisheries advocacy group and now find ourselves engaged in nothing less than a fight for the survival of our way of life.

 S.O.F.A. has never advocated a fishery without regulation. We have a long history of associating with Mote Marine Lab and other scientific groups. We have tried to help bring good solid data and good science to the forefront of the attempts to regulate the fisheries. Our hope has been that a fishery regulated by good science and with an honest agenda of helping to keep the fishery viable and healthy will continue to be a healthy fishery and can be a way of life for future generations of American fishermen. Unfortunately, many people who currently have the ear of the regulatory agencies favor shutting down fisheries in a pre-emptive manner any time a cry of "save the fishes" or "they are overfished!" is raised with or without any good scientific basis. SOFA hopes that with a combination of good science, public relations and, when necessary, legal intervention, we will be able to stem the rising tide of over-regulation. Along with our allies in The Gulf Partnership, we are introducing a firm demand that our fisheries and our way of life be regulated by good solid science, not anti-fishing propaganda promulgated by either misinformed or misguided individuals and associations. We believe that we can make a difference and hopefully can help our membership and all the commercial fishermen enjoy a future where fishing and fishermen have not sadly disappeared over the horizon.