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GONE FISHING

UPDATE 06/18/2014:

While not directly connected to Biscayne National Park another ocean park has been expanded this week.  The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument which surrounds small islands and atolls controlled by the United States Government was expanded from 87,000 square miles to 782,000 square miles.



Area of PRIMNM
 
 
Yes well there are plenty of places around the coasts of South Florida but it appears that Biscayne National Park www.nps.gov/bisc/ will no longer be one of them.



Biscayne National Park
 
This is due basically to both overfishing and destructive fishing methods.  Quietly but steadily under several Park Superintendents the reduction of fishing has been introduced.  Now however it has got to the point that both the fish and habitat are suffering to the level that there will eventually be no fish and a destroyed habitat.

Biscayne National Park proposes measures to do several things:
  • Phase out commercial fishing in Park waters
  • Ending the two day lobster mini season
  • Impose restrictions to hopefully revive the 270 square mile underwater park
  • Outlaw shrimp trawling which is destroying the bottom habitats 
  • Prohibiting traps on some reefs
Other possibilities:
  • Ban fishing entirely
  • Ban weekend parties which are scarring the flats and kill sea grass
The Park Administration hopes that the changes would:
  • Dramatically raise the catch size on popular fish
  • Outlaw spear guns and allow spearfishing only
  • Establish no-trawl zones to restore sea grass and bottom habitats
  • Make some reefs off limits to lobster and crab traps so as to restore and protect remaining coral

While State regulators endorse the plan they insist that recreation be available to the boating public.  In what seems strange to NAUTICAL LOG the Office of one of our local U.S. Representatives (R) Miami put out a statement saying the proposed rules are too restrictive, her thinking  seems to be that while she and her family enjoy the water they are not quite dedicated to preserving it for future generations.  Her statement said that the "restrictive recommendations would eliminate the average family and individual"  how this would occur is not explained by her and her logic is not followed by NAUTICAL LOG .  The real truth behind her rather ridiculous statement is more likely based on the Republican fear of big government controlling the populace and current Administration being Democrat.  It possibly comes down to the narrow-minded thinking of the bulk of her constituents on certain issues currently lost in their country of origin and not learning to relate to the broader American viewpoint of both enjoying the things we have but also working to preserve them for the future generations.  This U.S. Representative should be supporting the effort to maintain the Biscayne National Park for all Americans of the future generations.  NAUTICAL LOG finds her statement self-centered, without value and playing to a section of local politics for some unknown reason.  This is something we go through daily in South Florida which is overburdened by 65% of one ethnic group of which she is one.

All of the Park Administration points listed above will have their critics and supporters but the truth of the matter is that after living here for 45 years it is clearly necessary that they are but in place so that "average family and individual" can enjoy them both now and in the future. 

Good Watch.

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