Spearfishing at the Flower Gardens

[wookie]

I had to think for a couple of days before I decided how to respond to a series of posts on this board regarding the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. First of all, I was not in Texas eleven years ago when the Flower Gardens was designated a National Marine Sanctuary. Second, I have nothing personally against spearfishing, only spearfishing within the Flower Gardens specifically. Let me tell you why. When the Flower Gardens (FGB) was first proposed for protection, three things were required before congress would consider protection status. First was the presence of a natural resource that needed protection. Second was a local community of people who wanted protection status. Third was that those people organized to protect the reef. Gary Rinn was running a liveaboard dive boat to the FGB (M/V Fling), and saw the need for protection for two reasons. One was anchor damage from passing ships. Two was purely commercial; if the FGB was protected, it would mean more free advertising and folks would want to dive in a Marine Sanctuary. Thus was born GREAT, the Gulf Reef Environmental Action Team. GREAT installed the mooring buoys at the FGB (showing protection) and organized a population who wanted protection status. When the FGB was first proposed, sportfishing regulations were NOT proposed. No one thought that a sportfishing regulation would pass, and that the public outcry would mean that sanctuary status would not be granted. The only proposed fishing bans were for methods that damage the bottom, including trawling and long-lining. It was not until the third round of public comment that the LOCAL scuba divers and spearfishermen (not spearfishermen from Florida or South Carolina) suggested that spearfishing not be allowed in the FGB. In fact the suggestion was not that spearfishing be banned, but that POSSESSION OF SPEARGUNS be banned. Again, there was no mention of a sportfishing ban. Science was not involved whatsoever in the ban on possession of spearguns, only the wishes of the LOCAL population.

Fast forward to 2003. The commercial and sport fishing boats are doing far more damage to the reef than a spearfisherman ever would; yet possession of spear guns is still banned. We still find the odd spear on the reef. We also clean up thousands of feet of bandit line, long line, lures in the mooring lines, and document hundreds of barracuda, AJ, and non-game fish caught and released with stainless steel hooks and leaders trailing. This year we found a loggerhead turtle trailing monofilament from her mouth. She appeared to have swallowed a hook, and was quite weak when we found her. It was a hard year for moray eels, too. Caught, killed, chopped up (while we videotaped), and thrown back overboard, not one, but two spotted morays on Stetson Bank by a hook and line fisherman who was fishing while sport divers were in the water. All this would seem to make the case that spearfishing should be allowed, and hook and line banned. We will continue to oppose spearfishing, however, for a few simple reasons. One is safety. The three liveaboard dive boats that operate in the FGB carry a total of 84 divers, any of whom might be in the water at any given time. I know many spearfishermen who are very responsible, who would never fish with that many divers in the water with them. I also know the other kind. The second is purely financial. A boat full of good spearfishermen can wipe out the population of legal fish on the reef caps in a weekend. A boat full of avid spearfishermen can do it in a couple of hours. I assume that most of the readers of this board are one and/or the other. I know that the population of large fish will recover, it takes about a week for the fish to migrate from the area platforms to the reef. Just in time for the next weekend's dive trip where good/avid fishermen will depopulate the reef cap again. I know that a healthy population of large fish is worth over a million dollars a year (gross) to the three liveaboards that operate in the FGB. I have no way of knowing what the market and recreational value of a bunch of dead grouper is, maybe someone should do a study.

We are contracted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Artificial Reef Program to provide boat time to count fish on artificial reefs throughout Texas and Federal waters. The populations of "spearable" fish on the artificial reefs far outweigh the population in the FGB. By spearable, I mean grouper, ling, snapper, and AJ. There are actually more AJ on the FGB, but they are small, less than 27". There are over 35 artificial reefs within 150 miles of Galveston/Freeport, most just north of the FGB. These platforms were placed by the State of Texas/oil companies for many reasons. One is fish habitat—providing numerous sites for recreational fisherman and spearfisherman alike to take game fish without impacting the coral reef habitat of the FGB National Marine Sanctuary.

I agree wholeheartedly with the statements on this board that where fishing is allowed, spearfishing should be allowed. For that reason, we will be asking the FGB management to consider banning all fishing from the FGB during the upcoming management review. That is the way TEXAS divers wanted it, that's how it should be.

Sincerely,
Frank Wasson
President, Gulf Diving, LLC
Captain, M/V Spree

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by wookie
It was not until the third round of public comment that the LOCAL scuba divers and spearfishermen (not spearfishermen from Florida or South Carolina) suggested that spearfishing not be allowed in the FGB. In fact the suggestion was not that spearfishing be banned, but that POSSESSION OF SPEARGUNS be banned. Again, there was no mention of a sportfishing ban. Science was not involved whatsoever in the ban on possession of spearguns, only the wishes of the LOCAL population. That's hard to understand. If a ban of longlining would ameliorate fish populations, why would local shooters support a ban on spearfishing. There has got to be a lot more to this, and I cannot imagine that support for a ban on spearfishing was met with universal support from local spearfishermen. If sport divers and fish petters want to dive the reef, so be it. I cannot imagine a scenario where a spearfishermen shoots a sport diver by accident, although I guess anything is possible. That rational doesn't hold water, IMHO. Here in Florida, we have a multitude of wrecks frequented by both sport divers and spearfishermen. I have yet to hear of a photographer getting shot on a wreck.

I am not familiar with the Flowers Gardens, apart from the fact that I just caught a piece on TV from a marine biologist discussing it. I am assuming it is a very small area to support a statement that a group of spearfishermen could clean off the reef cap in a few hours.

Welcome to the board and thanks for your viewpoint. I would just need to know more to understand why spearfishermen supported an unneeded ban.

[keyspearfisher]

As a recreational spearfisherman my harvesting has evolved with my skill. I no longer go out and arbitrarely shoot fish to fill my stringer. I know I can shoot enough fish to eat, and I no longer feel the need to kill everything that swims. Often times I will line up a shot and never pull the trigger. The hunt is more exciting than the kill.
With hook and line there is little you can do to discourage the catch of unwanted fish. As a result, many get fatally injured in the procese of catching and releasing them. How many times have you seen a weak released fish get eaten by the well trained barracuda?
I think that it is hook and liners that need to re-evaluate the damage they can do. It's very easy to toss back a wounded fish to "let nature take it's course",without realising the impact that you are having.
I think the key to reducing the harvest of fish while spearfishing and hook and lining, is to take away the monitary motivation. The temptation to shoot or keep a fish you do not need, is strong when it looks like a 50 dollar bill.

[diligaf]

Mr. Wasson,

As you stated you have virtually no scientific evidence to back up any of your claims regarding spear or hook & line fishing. You merely have a small amount of antidotal evidence by untrained and inexperienced tourist divers that are being influenced by dive operators with a financial interest in the Sanctuary.

On the other hand, there is an extraordinary amount of evidence on the reef damage caused by “cattle boat” operations. This mountain of evidence is something no one in the dive industry wants debated in the eye of the public or before congress. I suggest the “tourism” types think long and hard about what they ask for. The domino effect caused by a scuba diving ban in Sanctuaries will be similar to that of shark feeding. The greed of the “tourism” types will in the end be their doom.

[Spear One]

Good point. I have never seen any long term benefit to any user group that points an acusatory finger at another user group. It usually comes down to:

1) Is the proposal necessary to protect a species or is it politically motivated?

2) Is the scientific and statistical data valid and based on long term reliable studies?

3) Will one user group unfairly bear the brunt of the change while other user groups experience little or no change?

It is not fisherman against fisherman or hook and line against spear, it is all fisherman/usergroups vs. the rule making bodies.

[Denny]

"That is the way TEXAS divers wanted it, that's how it should be."
Nobody messes with Texas, eh, Frank? Did you miss the part about the NATIONAL marine sanctuary?
The statements you just made to support your assertions about spearfishing pressure on the reef are hard to believe, to say the very least. Must be a couple hundred square yards of shootable bottom there, eh?
"The second is purely financial. A boat full of good spearfishermen can wipe out the population of legal fish on the reef caps in a weekend. A boat full of avid spearfishermen can do it in a couple of hours. I assume that most of the readers of this board are one and/or the other. I know that the population of large fish will recover, it takes about a week for the fish to migrate from the area platforms to the reef. Just in time for the next weekend's dive trip where good/avid fishermen will depopulate the reef cap again" You must be a serious scientist to be able to make a statement like that, a statement that can affect the right of so many AMERICANS (Texas is an american state, right?) to their pursuit of happiness.
The three liveaboard dive boats that operate in the FGB carry a total of 84 divers. Wow, 28 divers per boat? Do you dump 28 divers on one spot at a time? THAT sounds irresponsible.
Especially if the FGB is able to be cleaned out by a boat load of avid spearfishers in just a couple of hours. Do you realize just how ridiculous that statement is?
$350,000.00 is a lot of dough. That is my math estimate of your gross from FGB. Maybe you get more...
I bet the Texas CCA will have some differing numbers on the fish estimates at FGB.
Glad you are voicing your opinion. Thanks for taking the time to do so. Seriously.
Dennis O'Hern
Speargun totin' angler

[Dive4Blood]

Originally posted by wookie
. I know many spearfishermen who are very responsible, who would never fish with that many divers in the water with them. I also know the other kind. The second is purely financial. A boat full of good spearfishermen can wipe out the population of legal fish on the reef caps in a weekend. A boat full of avid spearfishermen can do it in a couple of hours. I assume that most of the readers of this board are one and/or the other.
Sincerely,
Frank Wasson
President, Gulf Diving, LLC
Captain, M/V Spree

Your statements are based on what scientific data? Try zero, none, nada, the empty set, jack squat!! . I can make the statement that your cattleboat drops dozens of divers on a divesite, many inexperienced with terrible buoyancy control who proceed to tear up the reef while taking their precious pictures. Subjective opininion? Sure, but with the same merit as yours. How long does it take the corals, sponges, gorgonians etc take to grow back or recover from the damage that your gaggle of Rodale Scuba Divers (I use the term diver loosely) have been let loose on the reef? Certainly more than the week you claim it takes to repopulate a reef "wiped out" by spearfisherman.

The fact that you have a vested interest in maintaining the FGB your personal u/w petting zoo invalidates anything you have to say.

[Charlestondivin]

I agree wholeheartedly with the statements on this board that where fishing is allowed, spearfishing should be allowed. For that reason, we will be asking the FGB management to consider banning all fishing from the FGB during the upcoming management review. That is the way TEXAS divers wanted it, that's how it should be.

I appreciate your viewpoint here. It looks like you have a large financial interest in Flower Banks and want it molded perfectly to fit your business.

First off this is a National Marine Sanctuary not a TEXAS marine sanctuary. It is all of our tax dollars.

Sounds like you and your group agree to lump spearfishing into the same group as recreational fisherman. What if the Total fishing proposal fails? Should spearing then be considered allowable gear in your opinion?

[diligaf]

"It is not fisherman against fisherman or hook and line against spear, it is all fisherman/usergroups vs. the rule making bodies."- Spear One

Well said. No one should think they can twist the facts to pit hook & line vs. spearfisherman. All fisherman will stand together and fight when others try to take their rights away!

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by Spear One

It is not fisherman against fisherman or hook and line against spear, it is all fisherman/usergroups vs. the rule making bodies. Except longliners. They're on their own! :eek: ;)

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by Charlestondivin
I appreciate your viewpoint here. It looks like you have a large financial interest in Flower Banks and want it molded perfectly to fit your business.

First off this is a National Marine Sanctuary not a TEXAS marine sanctuary. It is all of our tax dollars.

Sounds like you and your group agree to lump spearfishing into the same group as recreational fisherman. What if the Total fishing proposal fails? Should spearing then be considered allowable gear in your opinion?

Its all for you, Frank...........you deserve to have the banks aaaaaaaalllllllllllll to yourself, and maybe you can mask your selfishness with a veil of conservationism.

I'll even bet that none of your charters eat seafood.

Closures are a horrible use of a resource..........who appreciates it then? Does anyone think that fish observe those boundaries?

Fishing limits are a good idea, for everybody, to preserve a resource..............when applied equally and with a sound basis.

I would spend a measurable chunk of my own money in support of a constitutional challenge to the unfairness of fishing regulations.

Spearfishing is NOT WRONG, I am NOT ASHAMED, and you will be exposed for what you are.

Not very comforting to think that data would be collected by individuals who would serve themselves at the expense of everyone else.

[Spear One]

Jeez John, I wish you would stop beating around the bush and tell him how you really feel!

[wookie]

Originally posted by Screen Name

Spearfishing is NOT WRONG, I am NOT ASHAMED, and you will be exposed for what you are.

Not very comforting to think that data would be collected by individuals who would serve themselves at the expense of everyone else. [/B]

No one is stating that spearfishing is wrong, or that anybody should be ashamed of it, or that it shouldn't take place. Some of my best customers are spearfishermen, they just don't spearfish in the sanctuary.

I agree that it is a NATIONAL Marine Sanctuary, not a Texas sanctuary. I just live here. I'm worse than a Texan, I'm a damn liberal Yankee. However, I have noticed that those that scream the loudest tend to get what they want. When the Florida Keys NMS proposed the closures for Riley's Hump and Turtuga's North, the commercial fishermen squealed loud, but the conservationists squealed louder. The folks in Florida got what they wanted.

No, Denny, one of the boats only carries 16 passengers. Both of mine carry 34 each. Yes, we also carry out the scientists who perform the monitoring of the reef. They monitor not only the impacts of oil production nearby, but also the impacts of the sport divers we take out there. The health of the reef is a constant concern for us, as it is how we make our living. I have access to this data, as do all of you, so not all of my data and observations are anecdotal.

Charlstondivin, I stated that I agree with the all or nothing. I would rather see a ban on hook and line than spearfishing, but if it is all or nothing, you know my opinion.

Screen name, if you talk to anyone who comes on our charters, you will know we eat shrimp, one of the most wasteful (in terms of bycatch) seafood to eat. I like to eat shrimp, you like to spear fish. Life is good. Spear on the local rigs and artificial reefs, Spend the night on a mooring ball, share your fish and we will share our shrimp. My posting was not meant to troll or inflame any user group, but to put forth another opinion. As far as I know, you can only expose me as a guy trying to make a living the best way I know how.

DSAO
Frank

[joens]

I feel the need to comment on this as I live in Texas . First off I was not in Texas when the flower gardens became a marine sanctuary,therefore I don't know if wookie's story is correct or not.However if the line about local scuba divers having their say is correct spearos got shafted as the typical texas diver is not in favor of spearing .I am certain that if spearfishing in the flower gardens were allowed and I went on one of the three main boats that go out there with a speargun the "fish are friends not food " crowd that the boat would be full of would make that weekend quite miserable for me . I feel that if fishing is allowed spearfishing should be also. However if spearing were to be allowed I still wouldnt go unless I had a smaller boat to go on .the 100' boats are too slow too expensive and have too many people. I can go on a boat to the oil rigs with 5 divers up to 80 miles out 3 times for the cost of one flower gardens trip.

[diligaf]

Frank - You can sugar coat what you are doing all you want, but you can not change the fact that you are attempting to take the rights away from fisherman for your own personal gain. Nor are you doing anything to benifit the condition of the reefs by droping in THIRTY-FOUR divers at a time. You should be ashamed of yourself!

[Spear One]

And of course, all 34 of them have absolutely perfect bouancy control.

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by wookie

I agree that it is a NATIONAL Marine Sanctuary, not a Texas sanctuary. I just live here. I'm worse than a Texan, I'm a damn liberal Yankee. However, I have noticed that those that scream the loudest tend to get what they want. When the Florida Keys NMS proposed the closures for Riley's Hump and Turtuga's North, the commercial fishermen squealed loud, but the conservationists squealed louder.

The folks in Florida got what they wanted.

DSAO
Frank

Thats some pretty crooked stuff you are spouting there, Frank.

The people of Florida got screwed due to lack of resources and education of the issues. The people of Florida were sold out by people like you, who saw an opportunity for personal gain at their expense.

Sooner or later, the tide will turn on this. It is wrong.

[Carcharhinus]

But for a bit different reason.
I dive the Flower Gardens; I spearfish.
I love both.
Due to the way fish reproduce, the very best way to assure healthy populations for our grandchildren to hunt is to establish the odd "no take" zone. They needn't be very large and they needn't be more than about .1% of the Gulf (that's one rig in a thousand, or one acre of reef in a thousand) - but without them we're going to lose the sport we love.
If I get a vote, it will be for an absolute ban on taking any fish from the FGNMS and Stetson Bank, by any means.
C. leucas

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by Carcharhinus
But for a bit different reason.
I dive the Flower Gardens; I spearfish.
I love both.
Due to the way fish reproduce, the very best way to assure healthy populations for our grandchildren to hunt is to establish the odd "no take" zone. They needn't be very large and they needn't be more than about .1% of the Gulf (that's one rig in a thousand, or one acre of reef in a thousand) - but without them we're going to lose the sport we love.
If I get a vote, it will be for an absolute ban on taking any fish from the FGNMS and Stetson Bank, by any means.
C. leucas

Without them we will lose the sport we love? That is ridiculous.

Here's the cycle:

1) A fishery gets stressed or reportedly stressed or might get stressed someday or someone gets paid to produce evidence of trouble.

2) Closure is advocated rather than reasonable and fair management efforts.

3) Spearfishermen get thrown under the bus by the other fishermen, self serving divers, other well-meaning but uninformed divers, and so-called conservationists.

Never mind, that maybe 3% of the earth's waters are diveable, but almost 100% are fishable. Lets ignore the fact that most of the ocean is too deep or far away to dive. Ignore the fact that less than 1% of the fish harvested is by divers. We will blame this on the spearfishermen, because they don't have the resources to defend themselves.

4) The fishery doesn't change, but spearfishing moves toward extinction.

Unless we reverse this trend, our grandchildren will not be able to spearfish. That is the only thing at risk here............

At all.

[diligaf]

So it is OK to destroy the reef & eco-sytem, by dumping hundreds of tourist divers, even though the reefs &eco-system play an important role in fish reproduction? Aren't these the very things the sanctuary is supposed to protect?:confused: :eek: :confused:

[diligaf]

Future News Headline -

Concerned Fishing Groups File Federal Suit Demanding NOAA Protect Sanctuary Reef From The Devastation Being Caused By Tourist Divers & Cattle Boat Operations

[Denny]

Man, that would kill THREE dive boat operators. 34 divers on one bote. That would be 8 or 9 boats of non-cattle divers.
Total Area: Approximately 42 square nautical miles.

Areas included:
East Flower Garden Bank
West Flower Garden Bank
Stetson Bank

General locations and size:
Flower Garden Banks (FGB) - 105 to 115 miles south of Texas/Louisiana border

East FGB:
19.2 square nautical miles
250 acres of reef crest
pear shaped dome 3.1 mile diameter
rises to within 60 feet of surface
brine seep - located on margin of bank, about 220 feet deep, forms an underwater salt lake about 100
feet in diameter and 10 inches deep

West FGB:
22.5 square nautical miles
100 acres of reef crest
oblong shaped dome, 6.8 miles by 5 miles
rises to within 66 feet of surface

Stetson Bank - 70 miles south of Galveston
Total Size: <1 square nautical mile
Total Reef Crest: about 35 acres
rises to within 53 feet of surface

A boat load of avid spearfishers could wipe this out in a couple of hours? What a ludicrous statement! That coming from the person who sees over 40% of the revenue generated from dive charters at the FGB. (That's over $400,000.00 per year!) I wonder how much of that goes to help the Sanctuary?
Maybe we will charter your bote after spearguns are put on the allowable equipment list. You can show us how we can wipe out the fishery in a couple of hours. Money back guarantee, right Frank?
We are not easily bullshitted.

[FredT]

1. FGB has almost no soft corals.
2. Diver damage to hard corals is mostly limetd to the areas directly around the mooring balls. If you get 100 yards away from the ball anchors the reefs looked pristine and in good health on my last trip.
3. Prohibition of anchoring other than to the prepared moors is a good thing, if only for #2.
3. The "no spearguns" thing is a crock, as the rigs you pass both ways are good hunting opportunities.
4. A "no take" at the gardens and bank is not a bad thing, provided the rigs and wrecks on the way out and back are huntable and it's a TRUE "no take" including all forms of fishing and dredging. Anything less and divers and other fishing methods should be on an even footing.
5. The Bank is much more like the live bottom found off Fla west coast, but again with severly limited gorgonians.

FT

[diligaf]

Originally posted by FredT

2. Diver damage to hard corals is mostly limetd to the areas directly around the mooring balls. If you get 100 yards away from the ball anchors the reefs looked pristine and in good health on my last trip.


FT

Fred,

If I understand you correctly, the “cattle boat” operators generally drop their tourist in the mooring buoy area and according to your observations this area has reef damage caused by the tourist. This damage is not only confined to the immediate area, but to an area 100 yards surrounding the buoy area.

How far does the mooring buoy system run? A half-mile, mile, or more? If the system ran just a mile, and the damage is 100 yards in both directions, I would say this is very significant. Why is this allowed to occur in a sanctuary?

I am not against MPA’s or sanctuaries if they are created to improve fishing. This takes tremendous study to determine where they are placed and must be placed to have minimal impact on fisherman. And remember, our licensing fees support all this. The “tourist” type operators don’t pay a penny.

In my opinion, MPA and sanctuary management has become too political. Instead of managing the resource for the benefit of the average “Joe” citizen, the governing agencies cater to special interest groups that are looking for financial gain or a bigger piece of the pie.

At some point, the average “Joe’s” will say enough is enough and demand changes be made. Sanctuaries should be just that. No fishing, no diving, no anchoring, no human activity whatsoever, or open to all and they should be placed in areas not often visited by recreational fisherman. If this becomes management’s goal, both the fish and fisherman will prosper.


:)

[FredT]

http://home.houston.rr.com/thescubaguy/FlowerGardens/fgmooring.html

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/pacmaps/wf_shd.html

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/pacmaps/wf-fly.html

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/pacmaps/wfg_index.html

http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/facts.html#East

[Denny]

Cool Stuff, Fred. That flyby is nice. Is the crack towards the end the brine seep? Thanks for the links.
D

[Wet Spot]

No need to dive the Flower Gardens when there's a hundred fish packed 300ft vertical reefs all around it (oil rigs) and multiple other pinnicles for you bottom dwellers. Hell, let them be safe and trusting there, I'll be waiting to greet them with cold steel when they wander off to a near by rig. Over.

[Charlestondivin]

Wet Spot,

The problem is that it doesn't stop there. Right now those trying to put tighter regulations on spearfishing point their fingers at Flower Gardens "See they did it too".

What is being done is seperating fisherman from spearfishing. Once that is established our sport is dead. It could be your oil rigs next.

[Denny]

Inside every angler there is a diver waiting to be freed. Imprisoned by fear of the unknown, many divers will never be; relegated to the surface, they are left to wonder the mysteries of the deep, drink a bud and toss the can overboard.
OK with them to ban spearfishing.
We have got to free some of those divers.

Wet Spot: Like Charleston sez: rigs are next.
It is NOT ok for areas to be closed based on the whim of a few. We are talking about OUR resources supported by OUR tax dollars.
Fishing but no spearfishing? No WAY!
They will have to pry my speargun from my cold, dead hands.

[Carcharhinus]

Originally posted by Screen Name
Without them we will lose the sport we love? That is ridiculous.
[/B]
Let's see if I can make this short and simple. There are exceptions, but for most of the fish we're interested in hunting, this applies.
Most game fish spawn in the water column, and produce planktonic larvae that settle far from where the spawn was. The young fish grow up where they settle; under normal circumstances there's plenty of larvae and potential fish populations are much more dependent on habitat availability than having a huge number of spawning fish (artificial reefs are wonderful for that reason - the "all they do is attract the fish from around them" is a red herring). But you must have enough spawning fish to get the larvae into the plankton in the first place. The most efficient way to do this, and the way that ultimately denies the least ocean to the spearfisherman, is to have places where there is no taking allowed by anyone. Again, the areas needn't be huge and they needn't be prime diving and fishing areas. But without them you end up with overregulation of the entire body of water - in this case the Gulf - and stand a very real chance of having the hook & line bunch, through their vastly superior numbers, get away with convincing the lawmakers spearfishing should be banned everywhere.
If we are to play the political game and win, we mustn't attack sportfishermen - they are the 900 pound gorilla. We must be able to accept no-take zones where no one - not them, not us - can take fish.
C. leucas

[Carcharhinus]

Just in case I wasn't absolutely clear in my earlier posts... I am totally against having any area where spearfishing is banned but hook & line or net fishing or trawls or traps or any other way of taking is allowed.
C. leucas

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by Carcharhinus

If we are to play the political game and win, we mustn't attack sportfishermen - they are the 900 pound gorilla. We must be able to accept no-take zones where no one - not them, not us - can take fish.
C. leucas

Carcharhinus, I respect you and your opinion, but you are wrong.

In Florida, there are already overwhelming fishing regulations.....many of them less than 5 years old. They are making it less rewarding all the time to fish. We dont need more, especially closures of prime DIVEABLE habitat. They need to let the existing restrictions work.

Over 95% of the ocean is undiveable, pristine habitat for fish regeneration. Why take away the diveable areas? Its crazy!

In addition, while I agree that we shouldn't unneccesarily antagonize the anglers, and I am one myself, you can forget about them protecting us. It will never happen.

I believe we stand on our own merits.

[Screen Name]

.