South Florida's marine life is limited
Seascape
By BILL MAXWELL, Times Columnist
© St. Petersburg Times
published July 31, 2002
In an effort to save South Florida's marine life -- especially the
fish we relish at mealtime -- scientists are being forced to limit
what we can catch and haul from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and
the Gulf of Mexico.
Most Floridians always have believed that fish are an unlimited
resource, that it could never run out. Marine scientists are trying to
change that wrong-headed attitude. In what has been hailed the most
ambitious study of marine life ever conducted in the United States,
scientists recently counted the fish from the Dry Tortugas, through
the Keys, to Key Biscayne.
This marine life census is significant to scientists because it is the
first count of fish throughout the Florida Keys at one time. The count
is critical because wildlife experts have indisputable evidence that
South Florida's fish stocks are being depleted by commercial and
recreational fishing.
The census, which included the endangered Dry Tortugas, North
America's largest living coral reef, also will provide information
about how to save and restore this disappearing underwater treasure.
At more than 16-million residents, Florida's population and all the
ills that come with it have devastated our once-abundant numbers of
grouper, grunt and snapper. In fact, scientists say, we have
over-harvested 70 percent of all fish species.
Many fishermen, including some I spoke with in St. Petersburg, do not
believe the marine scientists, arguing that they are exaggerating the
numbers and discounting the impact of pollution and development.
James Bohnsack, a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, disagrees, citing our belief that we have
dominion over all living things, especially life in the seas: "This is
what happens when you have 900,000 fishing boats and people who feel
that it is their God-given right to go out and catch fish."
The long-term goal of the census is, of course, to provide information
that can help save and replenish marine life in the waters of South
Florida. A more immediate goal is to evaluate the impact of existing
federal and state conservation measures and to implement new rules. If
evidence indicates that no-fish zones work, officials say they will
not hesitate to establish more of them. Fishermen, of course, are
angry.
Scientists report that in an experiment to determine if untouched fish
populations could replenish, federal wildlife officials last year
banned fishing in 151 square miles in and around the Dry Tortugas.
Five years ago, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary banned
fishing in the waters around 23 smaller reefs.
I am happy to report that many other no-take zones are being
contemplated as scientists digest the bad news of the Florida Keys
census report and that of a study published last year by the British
journal Nature. The journal states that the global catch has dropped
by 360,000 tons since 1988.
A United Nations study indicates that 70 percent of fisheries
worldwide are fully used, overfished or depleted. Further, a quarter
of the world's 15 major fishing areas are fished at or beyond
capacity.
Our fragile coral reefs are essential to the health of Florida's
marine life, especially to the fish we enjoy in fine dining. For this
reason alone, no-take zones are a necessary tool. Florida's coral
reefs extend down the coast for 130 miles. Human activity, including
global warming, are destroying them at alarming rates.
The Dry Tortugas, a keystone ecosystem, must be protected at all
costs. This reef serves as a home, a source of food and a place of
safety for more than 200 species of marine life. It also nurtures
larvae and fish eggs that become "catch of the day" in our restaurants
and homes up and down the coast.
No-take zones already have proved their value. In protected areas, the
number of bigger fish far outnumber those in unprotected areas. Even
the Goliath grouper, which was near extinction just 10 years ago, has
made a spectacular comeback in the no-take zones.
What other evidence do commercial and recreational fishermen need to
see the light, to get onboard the new effort to save one of our most
valuable resources? From years of writing about this issue, I know for
a fact that overfishing does more than deplete stocks and threaten
habitats. It imperils coastal economies that rely on marine life.
Each year, I see more boats returning to shore with fewer fish. Each
year, I see more saltwater anglers return home with empty ice chests.
When will we learn -- and start caring -- that fish are a finite
resource? Only so many snapper and grouper are left in the Atlantic
and the gulf.
© Copyright St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.
Page link
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/07/31/Columns/South_Florida_s_marin.shtml