FWC sets new fishing limits in Biscayne National Park but steers clear of no-take zones
After 20 years of discussions over new fishing regulations for Biscayne National Park, state wildlife managers on Wednesday approved rules they say will strike a balance between protecting dwindling fish populations and preserving access for fishermen and divers.
While the rules set new limits on the size and number of fish that can be harvested from the marine park’s waters, the FWC stopped short of creating no-fishing areas that environmentalists and scientists say are critical to replenishing overfished species — particularly the popular fare of grouper and snapper.
“Today, the FWC chose to ignore science and failed to protect Biscayne National Park, our nation’s largest marine national park and a staple of South Florida’s economy, environment and way of life,” said Melissa Abdo, Sun Coast regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association. She added that the FWC’s reluctance in establishing small no-fishing areas inside the park means that over-fishing pressures will continue to devastate marine life.
FWC staff and commissioners decided that closing areas of the park to fishing is a measure of last resort that will only be considered if all other conservation efforts fail over the next five years. After that period, the regulation will be evaluated for their effectiveness in achieving the goals of improving the average size and population numbers of targeted fish within the park by 20% and to conserve fishery habitats within the park. The new rules will go into effect on July 1.
Data already show that species such as the black grouper and mutton snapper are already severely depleted, according to a scientific study conducted by NPCA and Jerald Ault, a marine biologist and chair of the Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society at the University of Miami.
But some in the fishing community said they have not seen population declines, and are happy with the FWC’s wait-and-see approach. Kellie Ralston of the American Sportfishing Association said that more research is needed to justify the establishment of marine reserves, or no-take zones. Commercial fishing guides believe that the main targeted species in the park are healthy and it’s just a matter of knowing where to find the fish.
Others at FWC’s meeting also argued that broader issues, such as water quality problems, are factors that are just as important to be addressed in a fisheries management plan as overfishing pressures.
“Miami-Dade has been dumping raw sewage at Biscayne National Park and here we are trying to address fishing issues,” said Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. “If you were a fish would you want to live in a sewer hole? No wonder they are leaving the park.”
Kelly and FWC commissioner Rodney Barreto also pointed to a lack of enforcement in the park, even as the number of fishing vessels and divers increase year after year as more people move to Miami-Dade and more tourists come to South Florida. There are just six law enforcement officers and five rangers working inside Biscayne National Park’s 174,000 acres of water and small islands.
Miami’s backyard paradise has suffered from its proximity to South Florida’s sprawling metropolis. In addition to sewage spills and increased boat traffic, trap lines, anchors and marine debris have damaged precious corals, seagrass meadows, and mangroves along the shoreline.
The new rules create coral reef protection areas where traps and lobstering are prohibited, and establishes inshore and offshore no-trawl zones to protect corals. Proposed restrictions on spearfishing with the prohibition of trigger mechanisms and air supply were not included in the new set of rules because the FWC decided that spearfishing isn’t a significant threat to fish populations.
The park fishery rules increases size limits for a number of species. The minimum size for red grouper, for example, expands to 24 inches from 20 inches, while yellowtail snapper rises to 14 inches from 12 inches. There‘s also a daily limit of 10 food and sport fish per person.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 6:35 PM.
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