Blue Heron Bridge Trolls

[jimw]

Thank you for mentioning this! I had not heard about these classes. I just signed up for the June 21-24 class. Anyone else going to do it?

I haven't been diving at the bridge yet this year, so I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully I will run into some of the ScubaBoard folks that I've met before - Scuba Jenny, Jet, JimW, etc.

Hi Trigfunctions, I'm hoping it's finally warmed up and I can lose the 3 mil and some lead. The water temp has been 81-82 the last 2 times at BHB. See you there sometime soon.

jimw

 

[danvolker]

You cannot spear there right? you have to be at least 100 from the bridge?

Any spearing anywhere near the BHB is going to cause major problems for the person doing it, whether right now, or in the next 2 months. The Parks Department will not be tolerating it, and the regulars of the BHB park wont either--meaning reporting and enforcement is about to get very easy.

And, as surprising as this sounds, Dumpster diver made this much easier for us with the ideal video for the various agencies to mull over !!
Thanks DD!

 

[Reck Diver]

You cannot spear there right? you have to be at least 100 from the bridge?

The spear fishing laws are clearly stated on FWC Web site. 100 yards from bridges where fishing is permitted and 100 yards from a public swimming area.

As Phil Foster Park does not include any of the surrounding submerged land, Palm Beach County Parks Department seems to have no juristication. In fact, if you are legally engaged in spearfishing or collecting tropicals (also legal around the bridge) remember this:

Title XXVIII
NATURAL RESOURCES; CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, AND USE
Chapter 379
FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
View Entire Chapter
379.105 Harassment of hunters, trappers, or fishers.—
(1) A person may not intentionally, within a publicly or privately owned wildlife management or fish management area or on any state-owned water body:
(a) Interfere with or attempt to prevent the lawful taking of fish, game, or nongame animals by another.
(b) Attempt to disturb fish, game, or nongame animals or attempt to affect their behavior with the intent to prevent their lawful taking by another.
(2) Any person who violates this section commits a Level Two violation under s. 379.401.
History.—s. 2, ch. 90-170; s. 27, ch. 2006-304; s. 9, ch. 2008-247.

I'm not advocating any particular behavior, just pointing out the law.

 

[BLoaf]

Thanks for the info.

---------- Post added ----------

Whats the deal over there then, people just dont like anyone messing with the wildlife but its legal? I want to plan a day trip over there from Tampa next week and also just bought my first spear gun.

 

[djtimmy77]

On the west side of the park there is a fishing pier. On the south side of the park there is a public swimming beach. On the east side the low bridge allows fishing. Therefore the entire area where people dive at BHB is illegal to spearfish. You could theoretically go north from the park but you will probably get harassed by LEO's for putting yourself in the path of boats going to/from the boat ramp.

 

[mntlblok]

Hi Trigfunctions, I'm hoping it's finally warmed up and I can lose the 3 mil and some lead. The water temp has been 81-82 the last 2 times at BHB. See you there sometime soon.

jimw

Over three hours both yesterday and today with only a Polartec skin. Started getting chilly after a couple of hours today until I started moving from my (now) favorite spot (thanks, again, John) to a different area. Had the sun been out today, I doubt I'd have gotten cold. Loved ditching the weights. Had some new finds again today. You know, a lot of these little creatures look so much like debris that I'm losing trust in animalkind. Really enjoying the bridge my last couple of trips. Entering two and a half to three hours prior to high tide is turning out to work very nicely.

Kevin
still struggling to catch up with pics

 

[ConchyJoe]

and also just bought my first spear gun.

Not recommended in the confined space of BHB regardless of the ongoing debate of legality...

 

[BLoaf]

Thanks for the info.

 

[danvolker]

The spear fishing laws are clearly stated on FWC Web site. 100 yards from bridges where fishing is permitted and 100 yards from a public swimming area.

As Phil Foster Park does not include any of the surrounding submerged land, Palm Beach County Parks Department seems to have no juristication. In fact, if you are legally engaged in spearfishing or collecting tropicals (also legal around the bridge) remember this:

Title XXVIII
NATURAL RESOURCES; CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, AND USE
Chapter 379
FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
View Entire Chapter
379.105 Harassment of hunters, trappers, or fishers.—
(1) A person may not intentionally, within a publicly or privately owned wildlife management or fish management area or on any state-owned water body:
(a) Interfere with or attempt to prevent the lawful taking of fish, game, or nongame animals by another.
(b) Attempt to disturb fish, game, or nongame animals or attempt to affect their behavior with the intent to prevent their lawful taking by another.
(2) Any person who violates this section commits a Level Two violation under s. 379.401.
History.—s. 2, ch. 90-170; s. 27, ch. 2006-304; s. 9, ch. 2008-247.

I'm not advocating any particular behavior, just pointing out the law.

Aside from all the bridge issues already mentioned, the submerged lands around Phil Foster are also park lands....You may not think so, but the Parks and the county do.
There are many thousands of divers, if not tens of thousands, that want the Blue Heron Bridge Marine Park area fully protected from spearfisherman and from collectors. County Tourism will want this also, and thanks to the position you are making clear, I'd expect signs and enforcement in the near future will be making the BHB area a no collecting and no spearfishing zone, even around the outside of the park.
Personally, i think anyone that wants to spearfish, needs to do it off a boat on the reefs offshore--and no where near a swimming beach or marine park. It shows a total disregard for the interests and emotions of the very large number of divers that visit BHB every day. The kind of person that would enjoy such an offensive behavior, needs to be treated like the "less than a person" they really are.

 

[BLoaf]

You find Spearfishing to be offensive behavior? Less than a person? I don't even know what to say about that. You can feel anyway you want but a view like that lacks logic or reasoning.