No more spearing in Southeast Florida???

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Jessica Anderson

Contributor
Messages
108
Reaction score
22
Location
Hypoluxo, FL
# of dives
500 - 999
I received the message below in regards to our fishing rights in south Florida. I know a lot of you out there are avid spearfishermen (and women!). Not to mention those of us that also fish (like pole fish).
Let's keep our right to fish in Florida!

Newslettermasthead.jpg

It’s happening again! Your fishing rights are under attack in southeast Florida.
Our Florida Reefs, which refers to itself innocuously as a “community-based planning process,” in reality is attempting to stop you from fishing. They have proposed 28 marine protected areas that would prohibit recreational fishing by creating “no-take zones” from Stuart Inlet all the way to Key Biscayne. They also want to nominate the entire area as a National Marine Sanctuary.That means massive NO FISHING ZONES all along the southeast Florida coast.
A series of public meetings are being held in January and February to get feedback on these recommendations. Fishermen need to attend these meetings in force to show them how much we value our fishing rights.
No verbal public testimony will be taken at the meetings. However, written comments will be accepted at the meeting. Here are some Talking Points to help you write your message.
If you aren’t able to attend in person, CLICK HERE to send a message electronically.
It only takes a minute to make your voice heard.

Maps of the 28 proposed No Fishing Zones (Below)



 
These look like rather small areas that will be off limits, with the majority of the coast still fishable. Multitudes of scientific studies have shown that the spillover effects from the benefits these marine reserves provide will actually provide better fishing in surrounding areas as well.

Just hunt and fish the edges and nearby areas. Give the fish somewhere safe to congregate and breed so there will be more for you to catch another day.
 
Every fishermen and hunter should be happy about stuff like this.
You should come to Europe and check out the Mediterranean and the Baltic, most of the fish is gone and you hardly ever get to see large slow growing species like groupers. Why do you think that is? Apparently, nobody new anything about sustainability back in the day. Don't you want your kids to be able to fish too?
All you hunters and fishermen should be for more protected zones instead of fighting these tiny protected zone, don't you wanna protect this beautiful ecosystem you have?
 
I'm less concerned about the no-take zones... not happy about them... but more worried about the all out ban on spearing while on scuba. There is a misconception that scuba hunters come up with hundreds of fish and are decimating the livestock. In reality, they have the same recreational limits as freedivers or hook'n liners even. Not only the same limits, but they actually have a time handicap. Hook n liners can stay out all day till they catch every single thing they could possibly catch, whereas a scuba hunter is limited to a couple tanks usually, and whatever deco limits they have set for themselves. It is not uncommon for a scuba hunter to skunk out and call it a day with nothing.
 
There is a misconception that scuba hunters come up with hundreds of fish and are decimating the livestock.
I think a few species really suffer from spearfishing. Some old-timers told me that there used to be lots of big groupers around in the Mediterranean but these days you only see groupers in protected areas an there are very few of those.
I have no issue with spearfishing or fishing at all, but I think it's good to have lot's of protected areas. Don't you guys still have tons and tons of places left where you can spearfish and fish anyways?
Where does it say that they wanna ban all spearing on scuba?
 
I spear on scuba and free dive. I have historically done better free diving. bubble blowers will scare the fish off of a wreck for sure.
 
That's a great point. Sometimes freedivers believe the bubble blowers are hunting with some big advantage over them. I do both also. I'll admit, I'm not as great of a freediver as some, but I am trained and I do feel comfortable doing it, but I tend to do well while freedive hunting whereas on scuba, I may not even see anything.
 
If we want the same fished out conditions the Europeans,Asians and Islanders have this is a great start.The US has the healthiest fisheries of any developed nation.Instead of trying to adapt their methods which are demonstrably inferior,we should continue to use the process we have.Spending time and money on this stuff takes energy away from real fisheries science and conservation efforts.
 
Our Florida Reefs, which refers to itself innocuously as a “community-based planning process,”

It's a "community planning process" of the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), a collaborative, local effort started in 2004 to understand and protect our coral reefs. SEFCRI is coordinated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program. The purpose is coral reef conservation...

A series of public meetings are being held in January and February to get feedback on these recommendations. Fishermen need to attend these meetings in force to show them how much we value our fishing rights.

And divers who appreciate the diversity of the coral reef habitat here in SoFL should all show up to fully support these proposals.
 
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