Delaware Beach Access Coalition Claims Surf Fishing Unsafe, Fishermen & Legislators Disagree

FENWICK ISLAND, Del.- President of the Delaware Beach Access Coalition Charles Turnbaugh and his fellow residents say it's almost impossible to walk on state park beaches.

"We're now serving as a vehicle to bring attention to the misuse of all three oceanfront parks and how they can be better used for all of Delaware and how the park swimming areas need to be developed," Turnbaugh said.

President of the Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen Clark Evans says that's not true. He says surf fisherman have no problem sharing the beach with pedestrians and thinks this ask is personal.

"We advocate for access to the beach as an organization," Evans said. "We see that ask as he's asking the Delaware state taxpayers to privatize beach in front of his house for his personal use and his renters.

There are signs that indicate the point where vehicles are not supposed to cross into swimming areas. But the Delaware Beach Access Coalition says some of these signs have been removed from some of the beaches causing swimming areas and fishing areas to cross.

Turnbaugh says safety is his coalition's concern due to drivers speeding down the beach and fishing lines being left with sharp hooks unattended.

Evans says those incidents are few and far between and surf fishing is a safe Sussex County tradition.

20th District Senator Gerald Hocker says the current use is based off of a verbal agreement made decades ago.

"An agreement made with the Delaware Surf Fishermen and Delaware State Parks to give up some of their fishing area for the state park in Fenwick Island and at that time they were told that they would never go back and try and take any additional fishing space from them which the fishermen were very worried about," Hocker said.

The coalition says it will continue to push out is information to the public and state government over the next couple of months, while Senator Hocker says he is not breaking his honoring of the verbal agreement.