Description
SAFER has begun what promises to be a busy year in our efforts to "Save Our Canals." Representatives have attended two important meetings affecting the WCA 3A & B fisheries and the reservoirs. The first meeting, which took place at South Florida Water Management District's Headquarters in West Palm Beach, was the quarterly meeting of the Water Resources Advisory Committee's Recreational Issues Committee (A mouthful that in bureaucratize is SFWMD WRAC Rec Issues). The second was attendance at a panel discussion hosted by the National Parks Conservancy Association (NPCA) at the Everglades Coalition's annual conference, held this year at Captiva on Sanibel Island. SAFER members need to be informed of the issues discussed at these two separate but important initiatives.
First the WRAC Rec Issues: For the past 7 years SAFER has not only worked to preserve the Everglades fishery, but has been aggressive in the pursuit of establishing a full fledged bass fishery in the mammoth reservoirs planned for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). For the past year or so, we have been hearing from the SFWMD staff that there had been objections to the establishment of any fishery by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). For months, we have been asking that a representative of DEP be present at a meeting of the Rec Issues, and for months nothing happened. Well, we finally got the chance to question their representative, and his answer was simple enough: As far as he knew, DEP had no objections to the public fishing on the reservoirs! They had objections to any fishing that relied on some means of propulsion, whether gas or electric, on the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STA's). And they even left the door open to some kind of bank/dock bound fishery, as proposed by SAFER.
Our message to the agency leads has been "That a Boat Ramp Does Not a Fishery Make." We have seen the plans for what are no doubt, excellent boat ramps, but if plans aren't built into the design of the reservoir for the creation of a bass fishery, then the fish population will be at the mercy of any low water event. Littoral Zones, an area of deep water for refuge in case of draught conditions, and the stocking of bait and sportfish are all issues which need to be addressed, if future generations of Floridians are to enjoy quality bass fishing such as we have on reservoirs like the Stick Marsh and Farm 13.
One of the reservoirs is already built and operating, so it's too late to do things right there. But the plans of the reservoirs on the drawing boards haven't been finalized yet. It is important that SAFER members urge the members of the project teams to incorporate plans for establishing a fishery on each of the reservoirs. In this day and age of internet and emailing, and all the technology, it is easy enough to log on to the websites of the participating agencies, and voice your opinions directly to those that matter.
The Everglades Coalition Conference: It was certainly with mixed feelings that SAFER accepted an invitation to participate in a panel discussion on the effects Everglades Restoration on the different fisheries in the CERP 'Footprint." The Everglades Coalition is "an alliance of 45 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes into Lake Okeechobee, through the "River of Grass", out to Florida Bay and the Keys." Like us, their representatives have laid out their agendas at the public meetings, and it is safe to say that very rarely did we share the same view of life, nature and restoration. Nonetheless, SAFER has stated often that we will sit down with any group/organization at any time or place, to ensure that recreational fishing is an integral part of the restoration process. As in any process, circumstances change, often times due to the dialogue that takes place amongst the participating stakeholders. And it is clear that SAFER's message that there is nothing more natural than an incredible bass fishery, in the heart of the Water Conservation Areas and with access within minutes of major urban centers, is being heard.
In a discussion that has been called "thoughtful and robust," SAFER was given every opportunity to state its view of restoration, and discuss fishing's place in the overall scope of restoration. The discussion and question and answer period that followed our brief presentation showed that the people there, were there to listen, and learn. It is important that an on going discussion of the many issues involved is established. If anything, these discussions showed that there are still many serious misconceptions about the canals in the WCA's, and about the future of fishing in the STA's and reservoirs. Even amongst our salt water brethren, there are misconceptions about what is happening to the water in the WCA's and its impact on the Florida Bay ecosystem. SAFER needs to continue to get its message out to people, especially those who might not have agreed with us in the past.
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