Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage members gathered at Fishermen’s Hall May 13 for an annual general assembly, reviewing their achievements and charting future projects.
FISH treasurer Jane von Hahmann presented an overview of the nonprofit’s financial situation, including reporting a significant reduction in FISH mortgages — a drop from $180,000 a few years ago to $70,000 in 2024.
Von Hahmann also spoke about the revenue generated from the nonprofit’s festival in February.
Despite a rainout on the second day of the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, FISH raised around $43,000.
Von Hahmann told The Islander in a May 17 email that “the FISH financial status is really good. Thanks to a great festival in 2023 and a good single day for the 2024 festival, we are on solid ground.”
Additionally, she reported at the meeting that FISH secured more than $60,000 in donations in the past year, as well as a $165,000 grant from the Barancik Foundation of Sarasota to enhance public access at the FISH Preserve, 4404 116th St. W., Cortez.
The preserve spans 95 acres of undeveloped coastal habitat adjacent to the historic village and serves as a sanctuary for marine life and as a protected recreational area.
The grant will fund the addition of trails and promote safe public access.
FISH also has a $16,000 donation from the Bradenton Kiwanis Club to be used for projects, including educational signage.
Meanwhile, board member Karen Bell spoke to the membership about efforts to remodel the old Cortez fire station, which was constructed in 1950 at 4523 123rd St. Court W.
The building served as a volunteer fire department for more than 20 years.
In 1997, the West Manatee Fire Rescue District transferred ownership to FISH. the building has served as a storage facility and polling station.
Bell said FISH has spent about $12,000 to transform the building into a community hub for events, such as neighborhood fish fries. In other news, Paul Rodgers, the husband of Cortez Village Historical Society president Cynthia Rodgers, spoke in her absence about the group’s relationship with FISH.
The CVHS’s cultural center, 11655 Cortez Road W., sits on preserve property.
Rodgers said this year marks the 40th anniversary of the society’s founding.
For 2023-24, the society installed a bench at the Miller dock, sponsored an Earth Day event in conjunction with Anna Maria Elementary and dedicated a plaque at the cultural center to the late Mary Fulford Green, a descendant of a longtime Cortez family who was considered a “matriarch of Cortez.”
Also, in the past year, CVHS received a grant from the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce to revamp a docent guide at the cultural center, as well as hosted an annual arts and crafts fair, Christmas in Cortez, picnics and coffee hours.
About FISH
FISH, a nonprofit run by a 12-member board of directors, manages several properties in Cortez, including a 95-acre preserve, a boat shop, Fishermen’s Hall and the former volunteer fire station.
The nonprofit, formed in 1991, is dedicated to the promotion, education and preservation of Cortez and its commercial fishing culture.
For more, go to fishcortez.org.