Capt. Anderson’s Marina Fishing & Cruising
A Conversation w/ Operations Manager Pam Anderson
What does your business do?
Capt. Anderson’s Marina has offered deep sea fishing, private charter boat fishing and Shell Island and Dolphin Cruises since the mid-1950s. Before that, since 1920, Anderson Dock in downtown Panama City was the home to the Anderson fleet. Headboats offer 5 hours, 6 hours and 10-hour deep sea fishing trips from March through October and add an 8 hour night trip in the summer for families wanting to get out in the Gulf for some fun fishing, fresh air, and a great family experience. 35 private charter boats offer trolling and deep-sea fishing for smaller parties, offering a more specialized fishing trip. The Shell Island and Dolphin Encounter trips give families an hour to explore uninhabited Shell Island, a great eco-tour and watching the Dolphins play in their natural habitat.
What’s your biggest concern as someone who runs a small business?
Our biggest concerns are centered around Federal regulations including excessive limitations on opportunities to catch and keep fish and, this year, the over-reaching new law concerning masks mandates for all crew and passengers while onboard our Federally- licensed vessels. The former has been an ongoing issue that was temporarily eased under the Trump administration; now, it appears that more strict regulations for abundant species are coming back. The mask mandate is excessive. Last year, we encouraged passengers to wear masks and required the crew to do so. With the new regulations, a vessel captain can be told by the USCG to return to the dock if they see passengers or crew without masks while underway.
Tell us why you joined the Small Business Council and what you would say to other business leaders about the benefit and value of this council.
I joined the SBC in order to stay informed of issues that concern our business. There have been many over the years. I share them with others in the business as well as our local Chamber of Commerce leaders. It has always been beneficial to be aware of the issues that are dealt with by the FL Chamber; sometimes they may not apply to our specific industry, but oftentimes they do. If we know about them, we can act, many times before they become law.
To become a member of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and join the Small business Council fill out the form below.