It is time for the 5 year review of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)! http://www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov/regs/5yearreview/ Well, in my opinion, the Florida Keys waters and reefs are still in decline. So, the FKNMS gets a “B” for effort, but an “F” for effectiveness and making a positive difference.
In my opinion, the management efforts of the FKNMS have been miss guided and ineffective in stopping even the rate of decline, much less arresting the decline or improving the situation in our marine environment!
I learned to swim with a face mask in Marathon when I was 5 years old that was 51 years ago. So, I know our marine environment has changed drastically and not for the better. At a presentation at the Ocean Reef Club Cultural Center with Jean-Michel Cousteau and representative of the FKNMS, Billy Causey stated that the “Coral cover has declined 30% over the past 10 years”. If that doesn’t wake you up, I don’t know what will!
It seems obvious that the cause of our marine environment declining is caused by poor water quality. All of the creditable authorities have stated that the first step to improve our water quality should be eliminating septic tanks and cesspits. In addition, making the entire sanctuary a no discharge zone for human waste will make a significant difference in conserving our marine environment! Well, what are we waiting for?
Well, maybe we are waiting for the national authorities to impose more draconian rules and restriction based on the Endangered Species Act! The NMFS has proposed to add two coral species, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) as candidates for possible addition to the List of Endangered and Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/prot_res/PR3/other.html . Local input to the FKNMS from Sanctuary Advisory Councils will be crucial in making the correct management decisions to preserve these coral species and protect the marine environment. The local community needs to demand that the Sanctuary Policies be more effective, when the goal of stopping or slowing the decline of our marine environment is not reached then what is all this about?!
Threatened Elkhorn Coral
Threatened Staghorn Coral
Well you might ask, “What can we do to help?” Well, maybe we can stop the Shellman and others from importing, distributing and selling tons of Coral! This is not a good thing! I mean why don’t we sell Ivory or Turtle shell jewelry! At the very least, if we ban the importation and sale of Coral, it will send a message to the world that we are serious about preserving what is left of the world’s reefs and protecting the world’s marine environment.
Dead Coral for sale in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary?
Dead Coral Reefs of sale, cheap !!
Well what else can we do? Maybe we can stop using Lead Sinkers when we are fishing. Really, how many tons of Lead do we dump into the marine environment when we are fishing. Lead is a very toxic element. There are substitutes that are a lot less toxic. Lead has been ban in many wetland bird hunting environments because of negative impact of Lead shot on the environment is significant. We don’t need another study to figure this out, it is common sense!
It seems to me, that the FKNMS is prevented from implementing meaningful and effective rules and regulations by the Commercial Dive and Fishing Industries. Maybe the Commercial Dive Industry needs to change their goals of generating revenue by maximizing the number of dives on our most fragile reefs to a more diversified dive pattern with more emphasis on a guided ECO-Dive program. Let’s face it, the Commercial Dive Industry is a major contributor to the negative impact on the reefs.
Maybe the FKNMS needs to eliminate 50% of the buoys at the major reefs and disburse them to other areas to so the diver’s impact will be less on our best and most fragile reefs.
As far as the Commercial Fishing Industry’s impact goes, just in case you haven’t noticed the Ballyhoo in the bait/tackle shops is $9.00 a dozen now, more than twice what it was a few years ago! It is common knowledge that the commercial Ballyhoo fishing boats are circumventing the state net laws by setting a long floating rope around the bait schools then drawing in the rope, effectively corralling the bait and then setting their “legal net”. This should be raising more then a few eyebrows. If the lower food chain is decimated, it would seem obvious that other major problems will result.
The Commercial Fishing Industry can even bait fish in the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs). You know those “no-take” zones for you and me. FKNMS’ management plan tries to be even handed with the sport fishing community by allowing them to get a bait fishing permit (castnet only, no hair hooks and shrimp) in the SPAs. I applied for a bait fishing permit and one was issued by the FKNMS. However, I had to check with Billy Causey to find out if I could chum for ballyhoo in an SPA. Billy Causey had to check with the FKNMS attorneys in Washington, DC, the answer was NO CHUMING ALLOWED! Chumming violates the FKNMS no discharge rule in the SPAs. I guess, I should be happy that the FKNMS had good intentions by issuing me a useless bait fishing permit!
NO DISCHARGE RULE in SPAs, hum! I wonder how many of those dive boats in the SPAs don’t use their holding tanks!
As a result of all of these things, I think it is obvious that Sanctuary Advisory Committees needs new blood, so hopefully the FKNMS will be more effective in the next 5 years. Everyone in the Keys that cares about our marine environment needs to be aware of what is going on and demand positive results from the management of our Marine Environment. Get involve in the FKNMS 5 year review process; let us make a positive difference! If you don’t care, you might as well move to Arkansas, because you’re missing the point of living here in the KEYS. We will need to support out local officials when it comes to implementing a sensible Waste Water Treatment System. We need to demand that the State and Federal Government pay their fair share to cover the impact of all these tourists and their impact on the KEYS or maybe it is time for a toll booth (locals pass thru the express lane free)! Think about it!?? Get involved!!
Glenn A. Patton
Citizen of the Conch Republic
gpatton@innovative-dynamics.com
Glenn Patton
Innovative
Dynamics, Inc. "