SEAWATCH summer 2016

Transcription

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SU M M ER
T H E P U B L I C AT I O N D E D I C AT E D TO C O N S E R V I N G A N D P R OT E C T I N G F LO R I D A ’ S M A R I N E R E S O U R C E S
Special Water Quality
& Habitat Issue
STAR Update
Take a Kid Fishing
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 1
contents
starting point
S UM M ER
By Bruce Aebel,
Vice Chairman, CCA Florida
Today’s sportsmen may be the greatest collection of conservationists the world has ever known. While fewer of our children have opportunities to fish, hunt and dive, the recreational
sportsman has grown into an economic powerhouse. Stores
resembling amusement parks compete for the billions of dollars
that sportsmen spend each year on outdoor activities.
Yet, sportsmen are under fire. And not just from commercial
interests which seek to profit from conservation efforts. The
image of the sportsman as honorable conservationist has been
twisted.
Years ago, kitschy ad campaigns promoted sportsmen as
stewards of the land and water - one generation turning over
these principles to the next. We have all seen the image of a
grandfather in red plaid passing a cherished knife to a grandchild. The sportsman was heralded as the most informed environmentalist. Sportsmen are now attacked as murderers. The
attacks are accompanied, in some instances, with death threats.
Bullies have no place in conservation.
The sportsman’s role must include a calm but unwavering
defense of conservation and habitat. We must rejoice that many
animals and fish exist today solely due to the efforts of sportsmen. The greatest conservationists must be encouraged, and
we must continuously re-earn our reputation as stewards of
the environment.
CCA is leading the way. Habitat and water quality are the
most often discussed topics by our membership. Already in
2016, CCA has spent about $200,000 on marine and fishing
habitat in Florida. But that habitat will not flourish with new life
if the water surrounding it is polluted.
While CCA leadership works to identify the sources of algae
blooms and water pollutants, we all must prepare to reduce
sources of phosphorous and nitrogen in our waters. There is no
one source responsible for these nutrients. Agriculture, septic
tanks and the sheer number of people in Florida all play a part
in the problem. We must be the solution.
We must continue the expensive and complicated process of
removing septic tanks. Some estimate that 300,000 to 600,000
septic tanks exist in the Indian River Lagoon area alone. Removal of the septic systems in the Keys reportedly cost one
billion dollars. Statewide, we must allocate several billion dollars
to stop the septic tanks leeching nutrients into our waterways.
Write your governor and representatives urging them to begin
the conversion sooner rather than later. Urge your neighbors
and friends to convert from septic and remove the old systems.
We must also protect the north everglades watershed in
the Kissimmee basin. This includes stopping the nutrients from
high population areas in the center of the state. There are more
septic tanks. Fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides are used by
almost all residents. You may have seen the CCA emails regarding Residents Best Management Practices. Regardless of where
you live in Florida, we all must reduce the nutrients we allow
into the water systems.
(continued on page 27)
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T H E P U B L I C AT I O N D E D I C AT E D TO C O N S E R V I N G A N D P R OT E C T I N G F LO R I D A ’ S M A R I N E R E S O U R C E S
Conservation and Habitat
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2016
S e e i n g S TA R s
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Ki d ’s d o i n g i t b i g
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otecting Florid
onserving and pr
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Special Habitat Update
de par t me nt s
top comments................................... 3
STAR news........................................ 4
around the state................................ 6
CCA banquet schedule......................... 7
picture it....................................... 22
FWC law enforcement update.............. 28
meet the artist................................ 30
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
Editorial/business inquiries
and information requests:
Dan Askin, P.O. Box 568886,
Orlando, Florida, 32856-8886
407-854-7002
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to CCA Florida, P.O.
Box 568886, Orlando, Florida,
32856-8886 407-854-7002
ccaflorida.org
Managing
Editor
Dan Askin
Editor
Ted Forsgren
Creative
Director
Debbie Dewell
Great Minds, Inc.
850-386-7401
Printer
Durraprint
Tallahassee
CCA FLORIDA
STAFF
Brian Gorski
Executive Director
Dan Askin
Chief Operating Officer
Trip Aukeman
Director of Advocacy
Frank Gidus
Director of Habitat &
Environmental Restoration
By Paul Giordano
Chairman, CCA Florida
Water
One of the basic building blocks of life on earth, yet something we have taken for
granted for generations. Now nature is sounding the alarm all around the state. From the
high profile issues related to Lake Okeechobee with toxic green algae floating down the
St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and the devastating loss of seagrass in Florida Bay to
increased red tides in the Gulf, brown tides, fish kills and seagrass die offs in the Indian
River Lagoon system and even the pristine springs of northern Central Florida showing
dangerous signs of pollution; water quality is something that can no longer be ignored.
In this issue you will find a special section highlighting just some of CCA Florida’s efforts
on water quality.
Since the inception of CCA Florida our organization has been focused on fisheries
management and making sure our children and grandchildren would be able to pursue
our angling passion while leaving fish stocks in better shape than we found them. Through
the years we have celebrated many victories in this area and have developed a proven
methodology for affecting change. Unfortunately several years ago we realized that no
matter how well we manage the fisheries, if there is no habitat or the water is toxic there
will be no fish to manage. With this in mind CCA Florida developed two new committees,
the Habitat committee and the Water Quality and Seagrass committee. As you will see in
this issue both of these groups have been working diligently over the last several years to
impact these issues. There is no magic bullet to solve these problems but using CCA’s proven
methods we believe we can play a role in restoring our waters.
Please take a few minutes to review the special section in this newsletter to get glimpse of
just a few of the issues we are involved in.We have a long way to go and we will need your help
to get there. How can you help? Get informed and stay involved! Even when the algae blooms
fade, stay involved. Hold your elected officials accountable to improving our water quality at every level of government. Or you can reach out directly to CCA Florida about this issue at h2o@
ccaflorida.org.Whatever you do please get and stay engaged. For over 30 years CCA Florida has
been the voice of the recreational angler, but when the water is poisoned what will we have left?
top comments
SeaWatch is published three
times a year by CCA Florida,
a nonprofit state affiliate of
the Coastal Conservation
Association.
Ted Forsgren
Special Advisor - Advocacy
Adam Miller
Senior Regional Director
Matt Behm
Regional Director
Caitlin Mitchell
Regional Director
Nick Pectol
Regional Director
Zach Batley
Regional Director
Amy Kuehnert
Regional Director
HATCH 7 Plus
Model
(7 wt - 9 wt)
Limited Edition
of 60 Reels
Chris Bozas
Warehouse Manager
Order now and
receive a Hatch
Buff and Decal
Miriam Askin
Executive Assistant/
Membership Coordinator
ccaflorida.org/hatch
Travis Hipper
Event Coordinator
Leiza Fitzgerald
STAR Tournament Director
Andrea Gillespie
STAR Assistant
Karen Hood
Accountant
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 The CCA Custom Hatch Finatic Reel
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STAR STAR
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!
s
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A
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g
Seein
Beginning Memorial Day weekend
and ending Labor Day, September 5th
lots of recreational anglers want to be
seeing STARs. STAR tagged redfish on
the end of their line that are sporting
a new truck or boat, motor and trailer
package as a prize. However, there is a
disclaimer. In order to win, they better
be a Coastal Conservation Association
member and registered in Florida’s family friendly tournament called STAR.
Why aren’t they? What we keep hearing
as excuses for not being registered are; it is
nearly impossible to catch a tagged redfish,
I won’t catch one, I don’t fish for redfish, I
only fish a few days each summer, the tournament is almost over and so many more.
Well, just ask the 14 anglers who thought
the same things, did not register and caught
a STAR tagged redfish. They will tell you
how it feels to find out that had you only
properly registered for STAR you could
have just won a new truck or boat motor
and trailer package valued at over $50,000.
Not so good! Now, Just imagine how it
would feel knowing you were a CCA member and registered for STAR while you were
fishing. Every redfish you caught would be
filled with excitement. You would be checking to see if it had a tag and if it did? WOW!
However, STAR is not just about tagged redfish. Catch and enter a photo of any of the
other non-tagged eligible species in the 13
additional divisions for the opportunity to
win some really terrific prizes.
STAR provides anglers of every skill
level the opportunity to win their share
of $500,000 in prizes & scholarships making CCA Florida STAR the largest saltwater fishing competition in the state. STAR
Florida, a Catch & Photo tournament, is
designed to educate the general public
about the importance of conservation of
Florida’s marine resources. CCA’s stateof-the-art smart phone app eliminates the
need for anglers to bring their entry to
a weigh-in. To enter their catch, anglers
simply enter a photo of their fish on the
2016 official measuring device via the app
right from the boat, dock, or boat ramp.
Measuring Devices can be picked up for
no cost at over 200 distribution locations
statewide. It is not be the biggest fish that
wins eliminating the need to harvest any
fish for tournament purposes. All division
winners will be determined by a drawing
from the verified entries in each division
except for tagged redfish, guides, conservation and the Lionfish division.
In the signature division of STAR,
CCA Florida released 157 tagged redfish, on average 4 STAR tagged redfish
per coastal county: from Pensacola to
the Everglades National Park and along
the east coast of Florida from the upper
Keys and Homestead all the way up to
the Georgia border. There is still plenty
of fish and time to be one of the next
seven CCA members who are properly
registered for STAR and catches a 2016
STAR tagged redfish, follows the rules
and wins their choice of a GMC Sierra
pick-up, Contender 22 Sport, Pathfinder
2200 TRS, Hells Bay Waterman, Sea Hunt
235 Escape all powered by Yamaha or for
a youth angler, one of two $25,000 youth
scholarships. The 16 STAR tagged red-
fish caught by anglers who did not follow
the rules or were not properly registered
were in Saint Lucie(2), Saint Johns, Sarasota,
Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Brevard(2), Hillsborough, Duval, Citrus, Hernando, Pinellas, Escambia and Franklin (2) counties.
The Academy Sports + Outdoors Youth
Division offers youth anglers the opportunity to win their share of up to $100,000
in scholarships, this division has 420 entries
with the eligible species being ladyfish, jack
crevalle, non-tagged redfish, spotted trout,
snook, sheepshead, cobia, Kingfish and Dolphin. CCA New Tide member’s entry in
STAR is FREE. New Tide Membership is for
youth ages 6 to 17 and is just $10.00.
A fun division for Florida STAR anglers
which has had tremendous participation
is the Conservation Division there has
been 9,641 entries to date. This division
allows for any saltwater species caught
during the tournament to be entered, the
angler with the most entries will win the
division. New additions to STAR are the
Stumpnocker Boats Dolphin Division with
48 entries, Cannon Kingfish Division with
71 entries and the Lionfish Division with
only 69 entries. CCA will reward the top
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 three participants who harvest the most
Lionfish during STAR. The Cast and Blast
Boats Spotted trout Division seems to be
the most popular division with 874 entries
followed by The Power Pole Snook Division
with 171 entries, The Carolina Skiff Sheepshead Division at 184 entries and The 33rd
Strike Group Cobia Division with only 19
entries. The Bad Boy Off Road inshore and
Costa offshore divisions will award first
thru sixth place prizes as will the Ladies
with 308, the Kayak with 420 and Fly Division with 77 entries. With plenty of fishing days left, all these great divisions and
wonderful prizes what’s keeping you from
registering? No excuses!
2016 STAR entry fee is only $35.00 for
CCA members, $65.00 for non-members
which includes a CCA membership and
Youth entry is FREE with New Tide Membership. Make sure when you take your
friends and family fishing the rest of this
summer you make it more fun by registering
everyone for STAR. Someone just may win a
new truck, boat, motor and trailer package, a
valuable scholarship or one of the many other great prizes. All winners will be awarded
their prizes at the STAR Awards Banquet
presented by The City of Haines City on
October 15, 2016 at the Lake Eva Event
Center in Haines City. The Awards banquet
is open to the public, ticket price includes
the awards ceremony, special performance
by Nashville UMG Recording Artist, Brandon Lay (one of CMA’s must see artists),
special guest appearances by Captains Rick
Murphy, C.A. Richardson & Mike Anderson
plus steak dinner, open bar, raffles and live &
silent auctions. Tickets can be purchased on
the STAR website, $50 for adults and $20
for Youth. Go to www.ccaflstar.com for registration, more information and tickets.
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around the state
Take a kid fishing! That’s
just what CCA Florida’s
Peace River Chapter did ...
On April 9th, the CCA Kid’s Fishing Clinic proved to be another successful event,
and for many of these youth anglers, this
day will go down in history as the day they
caught their very first fish! Over 150 kids,
ages 4-16, traveled with their parents from
DeSoto, Charlotte, and Hardee Counties.
Combos and tackle were graciously provided by FISH Florida, facilitating not only a
fun filled day of fishing, but the opportunity
to pursue the sport for many days to come.
Established in October 2012 with their
first fundraising banquet, the Peace River
Chapter in Arcadia wanted to come up
with a “feel good” event that did more to
support their local community, thus, the Inaugural Kid’s Fishing Clinic. The first clinic
in 2012 brought out a little over 70 anglers.
This year, they had over 150 anglers within
the first two hours! By getting the area’s
youth outside, facilitating a new hobby, and
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most importantly educating them on the
benefits of conservation, the Kid’s Clinic
aligns perfectly with CCA’s premise is to
ensure a quality fishery for future generations.
To help emphasize the Clinic’s education
component, FWC Officer Jared Cloud and
his K-9 partner Donzi came out to Lake
Katherine to teach the participants safe
and conservation minded fishing practices.
Officer Cloud also dehooked his fair share
of catfish that were caught and released by
the young anglers.
“I help host hundreds of CCA events
throughout the state of Florida. The CCA
Peace River Kid’s Clinic is by far my favorite and most rewarding event throughout
the year. There is nothing that compares to
watching a kid catch their first fish!” says
Adam Miller CCA Regional Director.
The community pulled together and
Presented by
Yamaha
CCA FLORIDA
BANQUET SCHEDULE
AUGUST
Pasco Banquet
Thursday, August 25th
The 24th annual Pasco Banquet kicks off
our fall banquet season back at The Spartan
Manor! Tickets are $75 per person, $140
per couple, and corporate sponsorships
start at $1000. For additional information, please contact Steve Bowler at
(727) 919-6191.
SEPTEMBER
provided tons of local support to this special event, so the CCA Peace River Chapter
would like to give recognition and a huge
thank you to FISH Florida, FWC, DeSoto
Automall, the event attendees, and the city
of Arcadia for making it all possible.
The next CCA Peace River event will
be the Banquet & Auction on October 20th
2016. And if you missed this year’s Clinic
or want to come back for the 2017 CCA
Peace River Kid’s Clinic, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 8th. See you on the
water!
www.calusa.com
Space Coast Banquet Thursday, September 1st
Please make plans now to join us on September 1st for the 25th Annual CCA Space
Coast Banquet and Auction presented by
Boniface-Hiers Automotive Group! Tickets
are just $100 per person and $175 per
couple. The party starts at 6:00 with an open
bar at the Melbourne Auditorium! For additional information please contact
Rob Beckner (321) 863-3226 or Nick
Pectol (321) 271-7723.
Forgotten Coast Banquet
Thursday, September 8th The Inaugural Forgotten Coast Banquet will
be held at the Centennial Building in Port
St. Joe. Forgotten Coast - we’re coming at
ya! The evening’s dinner will be catered,
and the drinks will be free! Tell your friends
and come support your new CCA Chapter.
Seating is limited, so get your tickets now!
For additional information please
contact Caitlin Mitchell at (334)
391-2232.
Eagles Banquet and Auction
Saturday, September 3rd
The 2nd Annual CCA Eagles Banquet begins
at 6:00 PM on Saturday, September 3rd! We
have a great venue, the Cohen Center, conveniently located at the heart of the FGCU
Campus! Add in an all-night open bar and
this is going to be one party you do not want
to miss! This event will include an exciting
live and silent auction as well as an extensive
raffle that will include: local, out-of-state, and
exotic fishing/hunting trips, fish and wildlife
artwork, sculptures, jewelry, a Hell’s Bay Skiff,
a Pathfinder Bay Boat, a Contender Offshore
Boat,Yamaha outboards, fishing tackle, and
much more! This event is expected to sell
out, as the Eagles chapter takes its place as
the best college chapter in the state! See you
there! Go Eagles! For additional information contact Amy Kuehnert at
(239) 249-1150.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 7
around the state
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The CCA Florida South Walton Chapter
Kids Tournament has done it again!!
On Sunday, April 24 the 11th
Annual Kids Fishing Tournament set an all-time record of
200 registered youth anglers!
With a ton of local support,
we were able to facilitate all
of the fishing supplies necessary for the tournament. One
hundred fifty anglers received a
rod and reel combo provided
by Fish Florida, bait and tackle
from our friends at Yellowfin
Ocean Sports, beach rod holder donated from Ferguson Water Works and an awesome Tshirt graciously given by Samuel
Taylor Homes and Luke & Blues
custom homebuilders. The
guys from Preble-Rish brought
the smoker and all ingredients
necessary for some hand grilled dogs and
were assisted in the cooking by Tony Anderson who made time during his campaign
for The Walton County Board of County
Commissioners to volunteer his culinary
skills. Cub Scout Pack 562 was a great help
at registration, and there were education
stations set up on the beach by Florida Fish
& Wildlife, TopSail State Park, and Grayton
Beach State Park.
The beach at the Red Bar in Santa Rosa
Beach is already the ideal place to be on a
Sunday afternoon, so the day was bustling
from sun up to sun down. There were
catfish, whiting, pompano and even a seahorse that made it on the leaderboard. The
top three anglers from each division were
awarded a medal offered by O’Connell &
Associates and first place winners in the
boys and girls categories received a Gold Pass to Big
Kahuna provided by Mainsail
Realty. In addition to all the goodies, every child was also made
a CCA Rising Tide Member
and entered into the CCA
STAR tournament that will
give them a chance to win
their share of $100,000 in
scholarship money!
South Walton CCA chapter president Sister O’Connell
said, “I am so proud to be involved not only with this organization, but especially with
this event. The children in our
community will one day be
tasked with the management
of the natural resources of our beautiful
area, including Grayton Beach. Our hope is
that they come to understand and appreciate those resources and work passionately
to protect them for future generations.” If you are interested in sponsoring or
making a donation for this event next year,
please contact Caitlin Mitchell at cmitchell@ccaflorida.org.
Presented by
Yamaha
CCA FLORIDA
BANQUET SCHEDULE
Pinellas Banquet
Thursday, September 15th The Pinellas Banquet will be held at the
Gulfport Casino Ballroom! This historic event
space is something you will have to see to
believe! Tickets are $85 per person or $160
per couple. Corporate and reserved tables
begin at $1250 for a table of eight. For additional information please contact
Jim Suomi (727) 244-9474 or Christine Suomi (727) 643-7375.
Homestead Chapter Banquet
Thursday, September 22nd
The Inaugural CCA Homestead Banquet begins at 6:00 PM on Thursday, September 22nd
at the William Dickinson Community Center!
We are very fortunate to have a title sponsor
with Sportsman’s Adventures Productions
and a Presenting Sponsor with Contender
Boats for this first time event! Add in an
open bar and a steak dinner catered by our
good friends at Texas Cattle Company and
this is going to be one party you do not want
to miss! The event will include an exciting
live and silent auction as well as an extensive
raffle that will include: local, out-of-state, and
exotic fishing/hunting trips, fish and wildlife
artwork, sculptures, jewelry, a Hell’s Bay Skiff,
a Pathfinder Bay Boat, a Contender Offshore
Boat,Yamaha outboards, fishing tackle, and
much more! This event is expected to sell
out, so get your tickets early! See you there!
For additional information contact
Adam Miller at (941) 270-0895.
South Palm Beach Banquet
Thursday, September 22nd
Join us for the Sixth Annual CCA South
Palm Beach Banquet & Auction presented by
Eastern Metal Supply! This year will be a sold
out event! We will be back at Benvenuto’s
in Boynton Beach. Space is limited, so please
remember to purchase your tables well in
advance. The party starts at 6:00pm! Tickets
are $100 per person or a 10-seat corporate
tables is $1,500. For additional information please contact Matthew
Behm (561) 644-2788.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 Gainesville Banquet
Thursday, September 29th The 26th annual Gainesville Banquet presented by Merrill Lynch will be at The Swamp’s
Touchdown Terrace! Tickets are going for
just $79 per person and include free beer
and wine. If you buy before July 29, Corporate Sponsor Tables with gifts are only $1000
(regularly $1,100). Did we mention free beer
and wine? Get your spot before we sell out!
contact Caitlin Mitchell at (334)
391-2232 or Mark Hurm at (352)
378-9422.
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SPECIAL HABITAT UPDATE
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Conservin
By Frank J. Gidus, II
Director of Habitat and Environmental Restoration
Coastal Conservation Association Florida
Our Florida Reefs?
The Our Florida Reefs (OFR) program was developed in 2013 to identify a prioritized list of Recommended
Management Actions (RMAs) designed
to create strategies to improve conservation and management of the coral reef tract in southeast Florida. The
Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative
(SEFCRI) created the OFR program
with funding provided by a state/federal partnership between the Coral
Reef Conservation Programs of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the
Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (FDEP). The OFR program
was promoted as a tool to engage
local residents, reef users, business
owners, visitors, and the public from
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and
Martin counties to discuss the health
of the reef along with management
strategies for the future.
The OFR process began in June
2013 with a series of meetings designed to provide information to the
community on coral reefs and the
OFR process. 52 Community Working
Group (CWG) members were then
selected, divided into north and south
groups, and met on a monthly basis
between March 2014 and June 2016.
During this process, the CWG narrowed down approximately 300 recommendations into the final 68 draft
RMAs which were then prioritized.
These 68 draft RMAs were shared at a
series of community meeting locations
from Stuart to Coral Gables that took
place in January and February 2016. At
these meetings the public had the opportunity to learn the basics of some
of the RMAs and provide some written comments. Commenting on the
RMA’s was also available online. Three
final joint CWG meetings were also
held in Coconut Creek in March, April
and June 2016 in which the public was
invited to speak. The complete list of
68 RMAs are included in Table 1.
CCA supports healthy fisheries
and habitat, including our coral reefs.
When appropriate, CCA has sup-
ported a number of spawning season
area closures in the South Atlantic and
the Gulf of Mexico. CCA’s mission is
focused on scientific approaches to
sound fisheries management for present and future generations to enjoy
the resource. Within these parameters, CCA supports angler access.
Likewise, we support the majority of
the RMAs; however, there are some
that we cannot support. For instance,
RMA N-146 proposes 7 closed fishing areas or Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs) along the reef tract from Stuart to Biscayne, comprising 20-30% of
the entire reef. CCA does not believe that MPAs should ever be implemented to stop fishing unless they are
being used as a last resort, not a first
TABLE 1: OFR Recommended Management Actions (RMAs)
Education and Outreach Draft RMAs
N-5: Enhance Marine and Ecosystems Curriculum in Schools.
N-14: Enhance Distribution of Educational Materials about the Value
of Florida Reefs.
N-15: Promote Citizen Supported Organization (CSO).
N-18: Include Multi-cultural Fishing Practices in Fishery Educational
Programs.
N-19: Distribute Nautical Charts with Natural Resource
Information to Boaters.
N-21: Distribute Reef Information to New Florida Residents.
N-23: Create a Voluntary Marine Industry “Blue Star” Certification
Program.
N-37: Improve Existing FWC Hotline for Reporting Marine
Incidents.
N-41: Develop a Voluntary Fee to Fund Education and Conservation
Programs.
N-123: Develop a Finance Plan to Support Reef Conservation.
S-52: Create a Reef Protection Mascot/Logo Campaign.
S-67: Provide Incentives to Eradicate Invasive Species.
S-75: Create a Voluntary Reef-User Donation Fund to Support Reef
Conservation.
S-91: Develop an App for Reporting Marine Incidents.
Enforcement Draft RMAs
N-7: Offer an Online Exam to Receive a Discount on Fishing
Licenses.
N-25: Strengthen Penalties for Reef-Related Violations.
N-27: Establish Co-Management Agreements to Address Staff
Capacity Gaps in Enforcement Agencies.
N-35: Implement Conservation Regulation Training for Marine
Enforcement Units.
N-36: Raise the Cost of Recreational Lobster Stamps and Dedicate
Funds to Species Enforcement.
N-44: Educate Judiciary on Penalties for Environmental Violation.
S-92: Protect Reefs from Anchor Damage During Beach and
Coastal Events.
S-95: Perform a Study to Determine how to Improve Law
Enforcement Management.
S-98: Simplify FWC Regulations Regarding Catch Limits.
S-99: Increase the Number of FWC Enforcement Officers.
S-125: Request that FWC Better Define the Word “Take.”
Fishing, Diving, Boating & Other Uses/Restoration
Draft RMAs
N-59: Ban Spearfishing on SCUBA.
N-64: Require Registration of Fishing Gear in St. Lucie Inlet
Preserve.
N-70: Protect and Restore Estuarine Habitats.
N-137: Designate SEFCRI Region as PSSA or ATBA.
S-8: Establish Coral Reefs Gardens.
S-54: Apply for Florida Reef Tract to be Designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
S-65: Nominate SEFCRI Region as a National Marine Sanctuary.
S-86: Ban Live Mounts and Promote Proper handling and release
techniques of All Shark Species.
S-87: Increase Protection of Important Reef Herbivores.
S-97: Reduce Bag Limit to 6 per Person per Day During Lobster
Mini Season.
S-2: Create a SEFCRI-Wide Mooring Buoy Program.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 Land-Based Sources of Pollution Draft RMAs
N-1: Educate the Public about Land-Based Sources of Pollution.
N-8: Educate the Public about Eco-Friendly Yard Maintenance.
N-68: Regulate Fertilizers and Pesticides.
N-69: Provide Incentives to Restore Wetlands and Stop Discharges
to Estuaries.
N-71: Maintain a Unified Monitoring Program for Sources of
Pollution.
N-75: Offer Free Pump-Out Stations to Boaters.
N-78: Reduce Ground Water Pollution from Septic/Storage Tanks.
N-82: Promote Initiatives to Reduce Negative Impacts of
Stormwater Drainage.
N-94: Development a “Green” Club Certification Program for Golf
Courses.
N-97: Implement LBSP Reduction at Pollution Hotspots.
N-116: Implement Regional “Living Shorelines.”
N-120: Overturn Current Legislation that Restricts Bans on Plastic
Bags.
S-25: Encourage the Closure of all Wastewater Outfalls by 2025.
S-28: Support Everglades Flow Restoration.
S-110: Eliminate Over-Beach Discharge of Water.
Maritime Industry & Coastal Construction Draft RMAs
N-113: Eliminate Lake Worth Inlet Port Expansion Project.
N-114: Reinstate Funding for Regulatory Agency Dive Teams to
Monitor Reefs as needed.
N-117: Improve Impact Minimization and Mitigation Activities for
Unavoidable Impacts to Resources.
S-1: Remove Tires and Debris from Broward County Artificial Tire
Reef Projects (a.k.a. Osborne Tire Reef).
S-100: Support Redefining the Port of Miami Anchorage to Reduce
Anchor Damage to the Reefs.
S-101: Create a Required Training Program for Coastal Construction
Project Contractors.
S-102: Integrate Quality Control Procedures and Triggers within
Permits to Initiate Corrective Action During Coastal
Development Projects.
S-103: Integrate Best Management Practices into Coastal
Construction Project Design.
S-104: Set New Turbidity Standards and Support the Improvement
of Turbidity Monitoring.
Methods
S-106: Establish a Turbidity Monitoring Certification Program.
S-107: Encourage Biological Monitoring of Resources Impacted by
Nourishment Projects.
S-108: Revise/Create a Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method for
Reef Environments.
S-114: Implement a Mechanism that Allows Permitting Agencies to
Apply Lessons from Previous Projects to Future Projects.
S-116: Reduce Beach Raking.
S-120: Improve Maintenance Activities of Beaches for Sustainability.
S-124: Create Regional Ecosystem Based Beach Management
Strategies.
Place-Based Draft Management Strategy
(Areas of Interest)
N-146: Implement a MPA Zoning Framework for the SEFCRI Region.
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stage management tool. While CCA is
opposed to implementing no take/no
fishing zones or Sanctuaries, we have requested that fisheries managers instead
consider protecting spawning aggregations by limited time and area closures
if warranted by stock assessments and
good fisheries management practices.
CCA opposes RMA S-65, which recommends making application to have the
entire southeast Florida reef tract designated as a national marine sanctuary, effectively removing it from state and FWC
management. This would create an unnecessary layer of federally managed bureaucracy which is unnecessary given the
effective fisheries management already
being performed by the state. We are
opposed to the RMA S-54 which includes
applying for United Nations Education,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) world heritage site status for
the entire Florida Reef Tract. CCA does
not oppose recognition of our resources,
but opposes any such designation that
would restrict access or uses. Those
decisions are best left to the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) and Florida law. We are also opposed to RMA N-59 as it seeks to ban
spearfishing for divers using SCUBA.
When CCA became aware of the
OFR process, we immediately got involved and attended and participated in
8 of the 12 community meetings and the
last 3 joint CWG meetings. We informed
our members through emails and social
media posts, as well as through word of
mouth. The OFR process was publicized
as a transparent, community-based planning process in which public involvement
and input was critical to the final RMAs
and their prioritizations. However, we
quickly discovered during the meetings
and throughout this process that the
public input was not nearly as important
as we were led to believe. For instance,
even after all the public outcry and massive amount of comments against the reef
closures, RMA N-146 was voted on by
the CWG as the second highest priority
RMA! It was listed just under RMA N-70
(Protect and Restore Estuarine Habitats).
It was also apparent from attending the
meetings that the CWG was largely antifishing. Furthermore, the CWG meeting
times favored the environmental NGOs,
the state and county environmental employees and the academia’s, but were
not favorable for other volunteers. Many
CWG members have relationships with
those whose research has been cited as
supporting their position.
The CWG members were apparently selected through an application and
interview process administered by the
FDEP. According to the OFR community planning process Charter that was
approved in April 2014, “CWG members and alternates serve at the discretion of the SEFCRI Chair who may, after
consultation with SEFCRI members and
the facilitator, recommend removal” for
various reasons. Some of these reasons
include removal if a CWG member or
alternate uses their position as a CWG
member or alternate for personal gain
or to advance a personal agenda, intentionally misrepresents the Our Florida
Reefs Community Planning Process, or
refuses to recues them self during discussion of matters in which they are determined to have a conflict of interest.
CCA and others discovered that
there were members of the CWG that
clearly used their positions to advance
their personal agendas. These individuals
were instrumental in providing the specific
language into the RMAs for which their
agendas clearly supported as evidenced by
their past careers. For instance, one CWG
member has been writing papers for the last
25 years recommending the establishment
of MPAs and no-take zones. He has publicized numerous papers such as, “Why have
no-take marine protected areas?” (2004),
“A rationale for minimum 20-30% no-take
protection” (2003), “Impacts of coastal
protected areas and no-take reserves on
Florida recreational world records for
spotted seatrout, red drum, black drum
and common snook” (2011), “A review of
catch-and–release angling mortality with
implications for no-take reserves” (2005),
“Incorporating No-Take Marine Reserves
into Precautionary Management and Stock
Assessment” (1999), and several others including being publicized in the “MPA News,”
an international news and analysis publication on MPAs. Another CWG member
recently moved to South Florida from California where he was an active proponent of
MPA’s off the coast of California.
CCA was also very concerned with
the process that was used by OFR to involve the public. During the community
meetings, the RMAs were split up into 7
areas, each with representatives most familiar with those particular RMAs. The
process involved placing a sticky dot next
to the RMA you approved and/or writing ideas on post-it notes on a large pad
of paper. The community meetings were
all held during the work week, with most
meetings during the day and some in the
evenings. This made it very difficult for
the average working citizen to attend the
meetings and it was clear by the low attendance and participation.
Likewise, it was virtually impossible
for an individual attending one of the
meetings to understand all the RMAs and
to comment on all of them. Even trying to
understand and comment on a handful of
RMAs proved nearly impossible given the
complexity of the RMAs and the short
timeframe of the meetings. OFR’s answer to this known problem was that the
public had full access to the RMAs online
and could comment on them via their
website. However, this eventually became
one of the biggest complaints because of
the enormous amount of time required
to read the RMAs, understand them, and
then provide comments on them. For
those individuals lacking computer skills
or even lacking a computer, they were
very limited by this process. This process
was not conducive for the average person to participate in, which is likely why
the overall number of comments was low.
OFR does not have a clear indication
that fisherman are the cause of a specific
problem and they have not proven that
less severe conservation measures will
not adequately address the targeted problem. CCA believes that OFR should work
with the FWC to achieve their goals and
do not believe that OFR nor the SEFCRI
have the authority to develop and implement fisheries regulations. On September
16, 2014, FWC Executive Director Nick
Wiley wrote a letter to Commissioner
Kristin D. Jacobs, Chair of the Southeast
Coastal Ocean Task Force concerning the
MPAs in the SEFCRI region. The letter
concluded that FWC opposes restricting
public access to areas where other actions are more appropriate. The complete
FWC letter can be seen on the right.
September 16, 2014
Commissioner Kristin D. Jacobs
Chair, Southeast Coastal Ocean Task Force
RE: Marine protected areas within the Southeast Florida Coral Reef
Initiative (SEFCRI) region
Dear Commissioner Jacobs:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Comm
ission) has significant concerns regarding
the creation of no-fishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within
the SEFCRI region. As the agency tasked
with managing saltwater fisheries, the Commission must balance
resource needs with maintaining access to
these public resources.The Commission considers no-fishing MPAs
a management measure of last resort and
has historically supported them only when less restrictive option
s have been tried and failed, or where it has
been scientifically demonstrated that no-fishing MPAs are likely to
enhance and support broader conservation
objectives for Florida’s marine resources.
With respect to fish populations, the Commission understands
the uniqueness and complexity of south
Florida’s fisheries and supporting habitat. To this end, we have
partnered with the adjacent federal fishery
managers, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFM
C) and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
Council (GMFMC), to create a Joint Council Committee on South
Florida Management Issues and address
fishery issues specific to south Florida. The Commission is leading
the committee and is coordinating this effort to improve the sustainability, regulation, and enforcement of
our fisheries in south Florida.
The Commission also recognizes the need to manage and conser
ve diverse marine communities and has
established various types of marine zoning in Florida in support
of that goal.This includes regional restrictions
on the use of selected fishing gear, species-specific regulations
within various zones, and no-motor or nowake zones. The Dry Tortugas Research Natural Area is one instanc
e where the Commission has supported
no-fishing zones. This zone was approved based on compelling scienti
fic evidence that this closed area would
provide essential protection to spawning aggregations that supply
a major component of juvenile reef fish to
southern Florida. In addition, the area’s remote location reduce
s the potential impact of the restriction on
anglers as it is not easily accessed.
In recent years, there has been a global call for implementing
no-fishing zones for protecting coral reef
ecosystems. However, the threats of climate change, water quality
, and physical disturbances severely outweigh
the threat of fishing in Florida where fisheries management is strong
. In addition, scientific evidence suggests
that no-fishing zones have not benefited coral reefs in the Florida
Keys and that the vast majority of coral
loss in Florida has been due to bleaching, disease, sedimentation
, physical damage, and other human-induced
environmental factors.
In summary, the Commission opposes restricting public access
to areas where other actions are more
appropriate and is committed to supporting the coral reef ecosys
tem across the seascape. If you have any
questions regarding the Commission’s position on no-fishing zones,
please contact Jessica McCawley, Director
of Division of Marine Fisheries Management at 850-487-0554.
Sincerely,
Nick Wiley
Executive Director
cc: Our Florida Reefs Community Planning Process
North Community Working Group
South Community Working Group
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What The CEPP?
CCA Florida has previously stated its support for the
Central Everglades Planning Project, or CEPP. But just what
is CEPP and what projects does it include, and how are they
supposed to help our estuaries and the Everglades?
The Central Everglades Planning Project is an important
component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration
Plan (CERP). To review, CERP was authorized by Congress
in 2000 by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
as a plan to restore, preserve, and protect the south Florida
ecosystem, among other things. By just about any measure,
CERP is one of the most ambitious hydrologic restoration
projects in U.S. history. Given the complexity involved,
CERP’s original timeline was in excess of 30 years, and its
price tag was initially in excess of $10 billion. In reality, and
sadly, CERP will take longer and cost more than its earlier
estimates to fully implement.
CEPP’s constituent parts involve storage, treatment, and
conveyance of water just south of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and in other areas further south toward
Everglades National Park. Vital goals of CEPP include the
reduction of undesirable water discharges to the St. Lucie
and Caloosahatchee estuary systems, the delivery of greater
volumes of clean water to the Water Conservation Areas
(WCA’s) and to northern Everglades National Park, and the
restoration of important habitat throughout the central Everglades system. It is estimated CEPP projects may be able
to deliver in excess of 60% of the water volumes CERP aspires to ultimately convey southward.
In 1999, the State of Florida purchased over 50,000 acres
of land south of Lake Okeechobee from the Talisman Sugar
Company to provide water capacity to complete certain
projects. A large portion of the purchased land is in southwestern Palm Beach County and is immediately north and
northwest of Storm Water Treatment Area (STA) 3/4, which
also serves as a popular state-managed wintertime waterfowl hunting site. These properties, also referred to as parcels A-1 and A-2, or the EAA Storage Reservoirs, will serve
as critical CEPP storage and treatment facilities for water
that will be fed to them from both the Miami Canal and the
North New River Canal coming out of Lake Okeechobee.
Construction on A-1 is largely complete and is in partial use
today, but required work on A-2 still needs to be funded. It
is important to note that land needed for CEPP projects is
already in State hands, so no additional real estate purchases
are necessary to implement CEPP projects, and they therefore offer the best near-term opportunities for relief to the
St. Lucie and the Caloosahatchee.
The planned flow of the water will work as follows for
the most part: From Lake Okeechobee the water will flow
south through the Miami Canal (L-24) and the North New
River Canal (L-19). From the two canals via pump stations
and control structures into A-1 and A-2. At 4 feet deep,
A-1, the largest of 3 flow equalization basins, can store over
60,000 acre feet of water (or about 20 billion gallons) dur-
ing peak storm water periods. A-2, possibly designed to be
shallower and serve a somewhat different purpose, will have
a capacity between 15,000 and 45,000 acre feet (the capacity of both parcels could be expanded in the future). After
temporarily storing water, A-1 and A-2 will deliver flows
into STA 2 and STA 3/4 for additional nutrient reduction
and treatment, although A-1 and A-2 will provide habitat for
emergent vegetation which will help start the nutrient reduction process. Once treated in STA 2 and STA 3/4, the
water will then be transitioned into the northwest and central part of Water Conservation Area 3A via spreader canals.
The water then makes its way from WCA 3A to WCA 3B
with enhanced sheet flow, and then from WCA 3B it is delivered to Everglades National Park.
Although these steps somewhat over-simplify the water
flow process, they attempt to provide a general outline for
additional storage, treatment, and conveyance of water from
Lake Okeechobee. CEPP also involves the backfilling of a
part of the Miami Canal that will help distribute water coming out of the STA’s. In all, CEPP projects could ultimately
provide up to 200,000 acre feet (or about 65 billion gallons) of dynamic storage once operational. It is important
to note the WCA’s cannot serve as water reservoirs and
must follow Federal water level regulations. This requires a
delicate hydrologic balance since water levels in the WCA’s
cannot exceed Federal guidelines, primarily due to management efforts involving a broad range of wildlife species, some
of which are classified as endangered. Water levels in the
WCA’s also can have a significant impact on urban water
supplies for Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.
The “Next Steps” project, also supported by CCA Florida and also a critical CEPP component, involves the building
of an additional 2.6 mile bridge along Tamiami Trail which,
once completed, will allow more water to flow into Everglades National Park once it makes its way from WCA
3B into the L-29 Canal, helping to restore some ecological
connectivity between the water conservation areas and the
Park (over ten miles of bridging of the Tamiami Trail will ultimately be built, with one mile of bridge having already been
completed). CEPP also includes seepage barriers, or curtain
walls, along the eastern corridor of the WCA’s and ENP that
will help with flood control for areas of Broward and Miami
Our Florida Reefs
Dade Counties. It will also play a role in
insuring an adequate drinking water supply
to South Florida. Other CEPP elements involve the removal of miles of existing canals
and levees, which will facilitate the water
flow patterns described above, as well as
modifications to several pump stations.
As important as CEPP is, more needs
to be done to tackle South Florida’s water
problems, as CCA has previously acknowledged on several occasions, such as the
completion of all CERP foundation projects,
and several others. Nonetheless, CEPP has
the best chance to help provide the earliest relief to our estuary systems, and CCA
strongly encourages all aspects of CEPP be
authorized and funded. The South Florida
Water Management District and Florida’s
Department of Environmental Protection
have approved CEPP, as has the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers as of May of this year.
CEPP projects are currently included in the
current WRDA legislation making its way
through committee in the U.S House and
U.S. Senate, and several other administrative steps required by law need to occur for
full authorization.
Precision GPS Guided
Trolling Motor
Superior GPS
Technology
Moving forward, the final prioritized list
of RMAs will be included in the CWG’s final report. A draft of the final report was
earmarked for January 2017, and the final
report must be completed by June 2017
based on the grant requirements. However,
just because the CWG voted to pass the
RMA proposals does not mean that the
RMAs will automatically become law. The
public will have the opportunity to be heard
again as the various agencies responsible for
implementing the RMAs review them and
decide a course of action. According to the
FDEP, “Any recommendation involving an
agency rule or policy change would need to
undergo a public engagement process hosted by the respective agency.” According to
an FWC’s presentation at one of the OFR
community meetings, once they receive the
printed RMAs their steps will include the
following:
• Briefing FWC leadership staff.
• Leadership direction.
• Division review and consideration.
• Actions already occurring or can be
readily addresses through current/ongoing programs.
• Authority or expertise.
•Feasibility.
• Anticipated benefits.
• Consistency with Agency Strategic
Plan and Commission direction.
• Feedback received from affected stakeholders.
FWC also discussed their potential action moving forward which includes both
regulatory action and non-regulatory action.
The non-regulatory action would include
technical support, providing expertise, and
incorporating the RMAs into future Division workplans/activities. Regulatory actions require Commission approval and the
Division/Agency workplans are approved
annually by the Commission. The public will
also have opportunities including attending
FWC-hosted public workshops, hearings
and commission meetings, participating in
outreach and feedback opportunities, and
directly contacting FWC staff. CCA will
continue to stay engaged in this process and
we will continue to communicate to our
members all of the activities around this vitally important issue.
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S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 15
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Seagrass Planted in the Indian River Lagoon and
New Oyster Reefs Deployed
The Coastal Conservation Association
Florida (CCA) partnered with the Florida
Oceanographic Society (FOS) to create
oyster habitat and to restore seagrass in
the IRL in Martin County, Florida. The first
phase of the project, which deployed on
April 29th and 30th, consisted of deploying
1200 bags of shell (average weight of 10lbs.
each) across both days. The areal footprint
of the reefs was approximately 600 sq. ft, or
150 sq. ft per site. The project is located at
four sites known as LS-01, LS-03, LS-04 and
LS-05, within the IRL, a Class III water, Outstanding Florida Waterbody, Jensen Beach
to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve.
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In conjunction with the oyster reefs, a series of seagrass plantings along the four sites
in the IRL took place on May 25th. Approximately 100 seagrass mats (each 21 cm x 21
cm) containing shoal grass (Halodule wrightii)
were deployed on the onshore and offshore
sides of the oyster reefs. Once in place, the
shoal grass mats spanned roughly 150 feet
of shoreline. Each mat contains an average
of 16 shoots of shoal grass for a total of at
least 1600 shoots. A total 1,410 sq. ft. of shoal
grass will be eventually be planted at the four
sites. These oyster reef and seagrass planting
activities will result in 4,460 square feet (0.10
acres) of restoration work in the Indian River!
Volunteers for the oyster deployment
and seagrass plantings included FOS, CCA,
Stuart Rod & Reel Club, and Stuart Flyrodders. “CCA Florida is proud to be part of
this important project that will help enhance habitat and improve water quality
in the St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River
Lagoon,” said J.D. Dickenson, CCA Florida
Habitat Committee chairman. “The combination of planting seagrass around the
oyster reefs has many benefits to the oysters, fish and all marine life in the estuary.
Furthermore, clearer water will allow more
sunlight to penetrate the bottom which can
result in the expansion of the seagrasses.”
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 included the CCA Treasure Coast Chapter,
the Rotary Club Vero Beach Sunrise, the
Vero Beach Power Squadron, the Walking
Tree Brewery, and the Indian River High
School Girls & Boys Rowing Team. Paul
Dritenbas also deployed oyster spat traps
at 3 additional locations for the future deployment of a new, permitted CCA #3 oyster reef. The deployment for CCA #3 is
tentatively scheduled for the Fall 2016 or
Spring 2017. To date, CCA Florida has donated almost $18,000 to this habitat restoration project!
habitat horizon
CCA continues to team on various
habitat restoration projects in the Indian
River Lagoon (IRL). In partnership with
Capt. Paul Dritenbas and the CCA Treasure
Coast Chapter, oyster reef CCA #2 was
deployed on May 7, 2016. The reef consists
of 1,020 oyster mats located in the IRL in
Vero Beach on the northwest side or Spoil
Island IR26, northeast of Loggerhead Marina and west of the Johns Island subdivision.
The 1,020 oyster mats contain an area of
approximately 1,800 square feet!
Over 50 volunteers participated and
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WACTS 1
As part of CCAFL’s on-going efforts to provide valuable information to its membership,
CCAFL has combined these two words to
provide recreational anglers with well-founded
water facts that we will be calling and referring to now and into the future as “WACTS.”
As part of this effort, we will be providing information to our membership on water issues
in specific regions of the state. We begin with
topics relevant to the South Region.
WACTS 1: South Region, Florida Bay
The earth’s surface is comprised of 71% water and
south Florida is no different. Everglades National Park
is comprised of a wide array of ecological systems, but
nearly 100% of them are dependent on water. There is
no portion of the Everglades more dependent on water
for its productivity and more particular, freshwater, than
Florida Bay. Florida Bay is dependent on a consistent
source of freshwater to provide a variety of species varying salinities for their life cycle. These salinities should
range from completely fresh at 0 Practical Salinity Units
(PSU’s) to 32 PSU’s. Over the last several decades, the
delivery of freshwater has been inconsistent and has been
18
WATER (chemical
disparate with the paleo
formula: H2O) is a
(i.e. historical) record. In
some instances, this in- transparent fluid
consistency has allowed
which forms the
for ecological system alterations that have caused world’s streams,
negative impacts. One of lakes, oceans and
the many alterations that
has occurred is an increase rain, and is the
in the density of turtle major constituent
grass in the coastal bights
of Florida Bay and more of the fluids of
specifically, Garfield Bight. organisms.
These bights would, based
on the historical record, A FACT is
be comprised primarily of
something that
shoal grass.
Changes in freshwater has really occurred
inflow affect the salinity regimes in Florida Bay. or is actually the
Lowfreshwater
inputs case.
leading to increased salinity disturb the recruitment of various prey species and the
sportfish that depend on them. For example, shrimp have
the potential to determine the success or failure of trout
fishing. Over the course of the past 6 months, reports of
the loss of significant portions of seagrass in Florida Bay
have become part of common water related discussions.
C
CCA Florida Applauds Septic
Removal Projects
An established neighborhood in the historic city
Rockledge in Brevard County is on the forefront of an
initiative to help protect the Indian River Lagoon. Immediately south of Cocoa and having a total population
of roughly 26,000, Rockledge occupies a front row seat
along the Indian River. With financial help from the State
of Florida, Rockledge is currently converting septic systems of over 140 homes between U.S. 1 and the Indian
River to the city’s sewer system. The ultimate goal is to
switch almost 370 septic systems in the enclave to the
municipal lines.
This project, like a few others, should help reduce
nutrients leaching into the Indian River. In the case of
the Rockledge project, it is estimated the conversions
will help prohibit over ten tons of nitrogen and one ton
of phosphorous from slivering into the Indian River annually. It is believed nitrogen and phosphorous fuel algae
blooms which can lead to fish kills, sea-grass die-offs,
and other habitat destruction. Other septic removal or
conversion projects around the state – in different stages - include those in Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, Islamorada, and Ocala, to name a few. The newly formed Indian
River Lagoon Council has made septic system eradication its highest priority, and agrees that septic systems
in all communities along the Lagoon should eventually
be eliminated.
Paul Berube, owner of Boaters Exchange based in
Rockledge, was born and raised along the Indian River
Lagoon. Whenever his schedule permits, Paul takes his
kids to the same spoil islands near Sebastian Inlet where
his father took him when he was growing up. “As both
a boat dealer and a recreational fisherman, I am proud
Rockledge is taking significant action to help our Lagoon.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 C
It gives me some hope it will one day be vibrant again for
my grandkids,” Paul said. Berube added he hopes other
municipalities along the lagoon make septic conversion
projects a priority.
State funds for the Rockledge project were secured
from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District
in 2014, ultimately financed by Florida tax-payers. CCA
Florida continues to support efforts like Rockledge’s,
and those in other towns, to eradicate dated and tired
septic tanks and drain fields in favor of contemporary
sewer systems. Along the Indian River, there are still
thousands of septic systems, many aging, and many likely
leaching tons of unwanted nutrients into the estuary every year. Perhaps with Rockledge’s lead, other municipalities in the five counties that claim the IRL as part of
their footprint can take similar steps.
CCA Florida applauds the town of Rockledge, and
also supports other efforts in the region to streamline
permitting for sewer improvements, septic system conversions, and muck dredging. Storm water run-off, another known source of unwanted nutrients flowing into
Florida waters, needs to be ultimately addressed as well.
Fish will be much happier and more abundant should
human beings ever cease and desist actions which contribute to the degradation of their habitat.
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Tampa Bay oyster restoration picks up pace
CCA Florida, BCT, and
CCA Music City join
effort to build new reef
on 2D Island
With one oyster restoration project
recently launched on nearby Fantasy Island,
plans are in the works for another project
to install new oyster reefing on the eastern
shoreline of Spoil Island 2D in Tampa Bay.
Coastal Conservation Association Florida,
the Building Conservation Trust, CCA Music City Chapter and Tampa Bay Watch, in
partnership with the NOAA Restoration
Center and the Port of Tampa Bay, have
joined forces to improve water quality and
enhance marine habitat in the Bay.
“What makes these projects so
unique is that this is marine habitat restoration in an urban setting. The people
who live and work here in Tampa Bay
can help build these reefs and see what
a healthy oyster population can do when
it gets a helping hand from projects like
these,” said Don Roberts of CCA Florida.
“As a keystone species, oysters are critical to a healthy estuary environment, and
they are the key to restoring Tampa Bay.”
The Bay has suffered extensive losses of oyster communities over the last
100 years, and the 2D Island project is
part of an ongoing effort by conservationists to build new communities to fill
the void. As filter feeders, oysters improve water quality and help stabilize
shorelines, providing optimal conditions
for the growth of salt marsh plants and
mangroves. Oyster reefs also provide
habitat for various species of fish and
wildlife that frequent coastal and estuarine shorelines, and are a favorite target
of anglers. For this project, a total of
12,107 square feet of oyster communities will be created along approximately
3,400 feet of shoreline.
CCA’s national habitat program, the
Building Conservation Trust, CCA Florida
and the CCA Music City Chapter have
committed to fund $25,000 for construction of the new reefs. Confirming that
healthy marine ecosystems are a priority
for anglers everywhere, funding from the
CCA Music City Chapter event in Nashville, Tennessee, has been applied to both
the Fantasy Island and 2D Island projects.
“With projects like these that engage the local community and really
demonstrate what it means to be a
steward of the resource, you realize the
incredible potential of the recreational
angling community to enhance large areas of our coast over time,” said Sean
Stone, executive director of the Building Conservation Trust. “We are proud
to be a part of this effort and excited
about the possibilities for both the resource and for fishermen in this area.”
The Building Conservation Trust (BCT) was
founded in 2010 as the national marine
habitat program of Coastal Conservation
Association. BCT is a 501c3 non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to providing
funding for local, state and national fisheries,
habitat conservation and restoration projects. BCT has created a model for the successful collaboration of business, non-profit
organizations and government agencies to
revitalize critical habitat and establish a vibrant foundation for the marine ecosystem.
www.power-pole.com
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 21
Presented by
Yamaha
CCA FLORIDA
BANQUET SCHEDULE
Inaugural Seminoles Banquet
September 30th
The Inaugural CCA Seminoles Banquet
begins at 6:00 PM on Friday, September
30th! We have a great venue, the Woman’s
Club of Tallahassee, conveniently located
near the FSU Campus! Add in an open bar
and this is going to be one party you do
not want to miss! This event will include
an exciting live and silent auction as well as
an extensive raffle that will include: local,
out-of-state, and exotic fishing/hunting
trips, fish and wildlife artwork, sculptures,
jewelry, a Hell’s Bay Skiff, a Pathfinder Bay
Boat, a Contender Offshore Boat,Yamaha
outboards, fishing tackle, and much more!
Come out and support the FSU chapter
for their first event and don’t forget to
invite your friends! For additional information contact Amy Kuehnert
at (239) 249-1150.
OCTOBER
Orlando Banquet
Thursday October 6th
The Thirtieth Annual Hell’s Bay Boatworks
CCA Orlando Banquet presented by Winter Park Construction sold out immediately last year! Don’t miss out this year! Same
great party in a convenient downtown
Winter Park location! Our featured artist
this year is Steve Whitlock plus we will be
drawing the winner of the Hell’s Bay Boatworks Glades skiff! This year’s event is sure
to be bigger and better than ever! Tickets
are $150 per person and corporate sponsorships begin at $3,000. For additional
information please contact Jim
Bankston (407) 256-8785 or Dan
Askin (321) 663-2588.
St. Augustine Banquet
Thursday, October 13th
Mark your calendars for the third annual
St. Augustine Banquet and Auction. If you
missed this great event last year then you
probably already know you don’t want to
miss out again! Tickets are just $80 per
person or $150 per couple, corporate
tables are still available. For Additional
information please contact Nick
Pectol (321) 271-7723 or Luke
Kelleher (910) 619-2202.
22
Water Facts
This problem did not start 6 months ago, but actually in December 2014. The salinity in Garfield Bight began the dry season that month at approximately 30 practical salinity units, which
was close to normal PSU ranges in the open ocean of 32-36. Scientific research indicates an
annual average of 28 PSU’s for Garfield Bight. At this same time, the water level gauges in the
Northeast Shark River Slough (NSRS, a natural wet prairie which is a conduit of fresh water
for the southern portion of Everglades National Park) were at approximately 7’ above mean
sea level (NGVD, or National Geodetic Vertical Datum). Over the following 6 months, from
January 2015 through June 2015, the water level gauge in NSRS began to fall and the salinity
in Garfield Bight began to climb. By June of last year, the water level gauge in the NSRS had
dropped 2.5’ and by the following month the salinity in Garfield Bight had climbed to 72 PSU,
or more than twice the salinity of open ocean seawater.
Due to many input stressors of heat, calm weather, natural topographic landscape fracturing in Florida Bay created by Snake Bight, lack of rain throughout the dry season and
into the rainy season, and the increase in salinity, hydrogen sulfides formed. Hydrogen
sulfides are extremely harmful to seagrass and more particularly turtle grass, the same
turtle grass that had colonized in high density into Garfield Bight due to two decades of
continued water delivery inconsistencies since the crash in the bay in 1987. This accumulated hydrogen sulfide along with other environmental stressors are what brought about
the first waves of seagrass die-off’s, which were evidenced by the dense surface mats of
floating dead seagrass throughout the central part of the Bay, particularly in Rankin and
Johnson Key Basins. Current conditions mirror a similar event in 1987 which persisted for
many years and further impacted Florida Bay, primarily due to the proliferation of dense
plumes of algae.
Immediate Actions Items:
• Better communication between Park and State officials to deliver water. Based on hydrologic models, there was water available in the Water Conservation Areas that could have
fed Everglades National Park and, ultimately, Florida Bay.
• Focused discussion and support for the Curtain Wall along the east side of the ENP to
retain water in the park.
• Completion of the CERP Foundation projects immediately: Modified Water Deliveries
to ENP and the C-111 Spreader Canal. These projects need to be built to the original
specifications as approved and authorized.
• The system has to be managed and it cannot be left to manage itself. There were other
signs and tools that have been developed over the last 25 years besides the water level
gauges in NSRS such as nesting success (or lack thereof) of certain water dependent
birds, decreased spotted seatrout populations, and minimum flows and level regulations
for the park.
• Open dialogue on Single Species Management related to the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.
• Review of the monitoring program to determine compliance with the Phosphorus Rule
and other legal cases associated with the 10 parts per billion criteria limiting water flows
into the Park.
The health of the Everglades affects the entire state.
Although it is virtually impossible to fully restore South Florida’s hydrology to its 19th
century state, CCAFL believes certain actions can be taken immediately and over time by
state and federal authorities which will help preserve our marine resources. On behalf of
its members and all recreational anglers, CCAFL pledges to continue to work diligently in
studying and supporting viable solutions which CCAFL hopes will benefit Florida’s marine
ecosystems.
Advertise Today! 407-854-7002
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 23
a
d
i
r
o
l
F
CCA
arine resources
g Florida’s m
ing and protectin
Conserv
Is Your Yard Killing
the Resource You Cherish?
The super blooms and brown tides in the Indian
River Lagoon system between 2011 and 2016 and
their attendant sea grass destruction, fish kills, and
wildlife deaths have raised public awareness regarding water quality issues. The fact is that many people
in state and local government as well as in academia
have been worried about water column issues in the
IRL and many of Florida’s other estuary systems for
many years. The tragedy in the Indian River Lagoon
merely brought nutrient loading to the fore as story
after story appeared in our newspapers and on TV
news.
Nutrient loads that enhance the growth of algae
and phytoplankton come from a number of sources
but the one source that we as citizens can quickly and
directly have positive impact on is residential lawn and
garden management. And it does not matter where
you live in Florida. How you manage your yard effects a broad range of environments around you. If
you live inland how you fertilize, mow, trim, and water your yard effects run off and ground water which
eventually affects lakes, then springs, then rivers, then
estuaries and coastal water systems. If you live along
one of Florida’s coastal estuaries like the Indian River
Lagoon or Tampa Bay your impact is far greater and
more immediate because of your proximity to the
water body itself.
What can you do to immediately help address
Florida’s ever growing battle with water quality?
First, make yourself aware of Florida’s Best Management Practices. BMP’s have a well-documented history going back into the early 2000’s when industry,
state government, and Florida’s university system
came together to address Florida’s growing water
and water quality issues and develop our first Best
Management Practices guidelines which were published in 2002. By 2009 the Florida legislature made
training mandatory for commercial applicators of
fertilizer and insecticides. Today informative articles
on Best Management Practices are everywhere if we
would only take heed.
So, if you want to make a difference we would suggest that you look for BMP’s for your locale or region. South Florida Water Management District has a
web page highlighting fertilizer use and other regional
BMP’s as do other water management districts. Visit
www.sfwmd.gov and then go to Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems.
Many cities and counties, especially those along
24
waterways, have specific fertilizer ordinances and
post local BMP’s. Find out what’s appropriate for
your area.
If you think about it, fertilizer use, landscaping techniques, and watering are essentially cultural issues. So
often we do things because “that’s the way it’s always
been done”. Florida friendly gardening techniques
could easily be likened to recycling. We now accept
recycling as a cost effect activity in our daily lives that
is practiced virtually everywhere. While the use of
BMP’s is currently not mandatory, the agricultural
community has broadly adopted BMP’s because they
are cost effective and increase harvest. The same is
true for residential lawn and landscape application.
Do a little research, try it and you’ll see. Save money
and enhance your curb appeal.
As Pogo once so eloquently put it, “We have found
the enemy and it is us!” But, WE Can do something
about it. Let’s start now.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 25
26
Presented by
Yamaha
CCA FLORIDA
BANQUET SCHEDULE
Conservation and Habitat
continued from page 2
We must continue Everglades restoration and sensible use of agriculture land. This does
include purchase and use of lands from willing sellers in optimal areas. Water storage is important North, South, East and West of Lake Okeechobee, and we must efficiently utilize the
lands we Floridians already own. We must send appropriate volumes of clean, fresh water
into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.
Septic Tanks, residential gardening and agriculture are not the only sources of the problem, but they are big parts. Every solution has its own complication, and the efforts will be
frustrated by competing interests. Together we will improve our situation and find a long
term fix. We urge everyone to dedicate themselves towards calm, comprehensive and effective action. Ignore the bullies and self-interested and uninformed. Be the world’s greatest
conservationists.
Beach house or
mountain cabin
sitting empty?
R
O
F
T
N
RE
CCA can fill your
unused weeks.
• We have 35 events throughout the state
and can keep your property full.
• Our members are your target audience.
• Whether you need to fill one week or 50,
we can help.
Contact Brian Gorski at 941-720-4446
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 Dade Banquet
Thursday, October 20th Join us for the Thirty-first Annual CCA
Dade Chapter Banquet & Auction presented
by Contender Boats! We will be drawing the winner of the 2016 28’ Contender
Tournament Edition Center Console at the
banquet!!! Be a part of this exciting event
at a NEW VENUE this year, The Coral
Gables Country Club! Tickets are just $100
per person & 10-seat corporate tables are
$1,500. Be sure to purchase your table early
as we are anticipating a huge event this year.
contact Kathleen Marrero (305)
371-3835.
Peace River Banquet Thursday, October 20th
Join CCA Florida in celebrating the 4th annual
Peace River Banquet presented by DeSoto
Auto Mall! This year’s event will be held at
the Turner Agri-Civic Center in Arcadia. If
you live anywhere near this part of the state
please come on out for a great event! Tickets
are just $70 per person and include a great
steak form our friends at Texas Cattle Co.
This is one of CCA Florida’s newest chapters
and their banquet is quickly becoming one of
our larger events. Please be sure to reserve
your tickets early if you plan on attending
this year! For additional information
please contact John Court (863)
990-1951 or Adam Miller (941)
270-0895.
Treasure Coast BBQ Friday, October 21st
Come on out to the Treasure Coast BBQ at
the Walking Tree Brewery! There will be free
beer and great BBQ! Tickets are just $40 and
include CCA membership! For additional
information please contact Lange
Sykes at (772) 473-7983 or Nick
Pectol (321) 271-7723.
NOVEMBER
Pensacola Banquet
Thursday, November 3rd
This year’s Vince Whibbs Automotive
Group CCA Pensacola Banquet presented
by Budlight is already on its way to selling
out! Hurry, and save $100 on a Corporate
Sponsor Table if you buy before September
2. Tables seat 8 and come with 8 CCA memberships, open bar, dinner, table gifts, framed
art by our featured artist, a full page program
ad and priority seating. What are you waiting for!? For additional information
please contact Caitlin Mitchell at
(334) 391-2232 or Mimi Bass at
(850) 516-4966.
27
FWC Law Enforcement Update
The Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation
Commission is
responsible for many
things in order to
achieve their stated
mission: “Managing fish
and wildlife resources
for their long-term
well-being and the
benefit of people.”
Law enforcement is a
primary focus in that
mission.We all
understand that
without strong
enforcement, the
rules and regulations
we work so hard to
pass do nothing. CCA
Florida is proud to
continue our regular
feature in Sea Watch;
The FWC Law
Enforcement Update.
Please remember you
can do your part by
reporting all fish and
wildlife violations
to the FWC at
888-404-FWCC (3922)
Cellular phone users,
call *FWC or #FWC.
Own Pine Island’s Iconic
Oh snap! Snapper
violators caught in the act
While patrolling one evening,
Officer Wagner noticed two figures
standing by a culvert. As he got closer to them, it became apparent that
one of them was scaling a mangrove
snapper next to a large mesh bag full
of fish, while the other was fishing
next to him.A look into the contents
of the bag revealed 36 mangrove
snapper, six schoolmaster snapper,
grunts and pinfish. All but five of the
mangrove snapper and every single
schoolmaster snapper were undersized (under 10 inches). The fishing
violators were issued citations.
Direct access to Charlotte Harbor
and some of the best ﬁshing in the world
Contact Broker Mike Shevlin for more details
239.851.1727
Reaching out with the
long arm of the law!
Log on to
ccaflorida.org
and choose from our regionalized
directory of Fla. guides who support CCA’s
conservation initiatives.
28
www.beachousefl.com
5 separate Apartments, including the 3rd ﬂoor Penthouse
The operators of a vessel were
surprised when Officers Spoede
and Thompson, Investigator Ruggiero and Lieutenant Barrett stopped
them for a fisheries inspection ap-
Looking For
A Guide?
Beachouse Lodge
mike@teamshevlin.com
10191 Stringfellow, Saint James City, FL 33956
proximately 25 miles offshore. As
the officers neared the boat, they
watched the operator remove
something from a fillet table and
throw it to the back of the vessel.
During the inspection, the officers
found eight undersized red grouper
and a red grouper fillet, which the
operator seemed to have tried to
hide.While checking the fishing gear,
they found another grouper fillet
being used as bait. The vessel operators were charged with multiple
criminal fisheries violations.
Why were they surprised to see
our officers so far from shore? They
may have thought our officers only
patrolled state waters. State waters
extend 3 nautical miles from the
Atlantic shore and 9 nautical miles
in the Gulf, while federal waters extend from the end of state waters
to about 200 nautical miles offshore.
Our officers enforce all state laws
and, as part of a joint enforcement
agreement with NOAA, our officers’
jurisdiction extends into federal waters. Part of their responsibilities include patrolling those waters to conserve federal fisheries as well as to
help people in need of rescue.
S E AWAT C H • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 29
meet the artist
Meet Brad McMinn
My artwork includes acrylic paintings and graphic drawings of fish and
wildlife theme. Another artist told me that it was a rigid or edgy approach
to the fly fishing world. Everything is done freehand. The paintings are all
freehand acrylic on selected wood and masonite panels.
The paint mixes well on its own when it slides across the wood. My aim
is to blend the profile of the fish with as much of the grain as possible. Most
of them come out showing the different color and moods of the fish.
I’d like to take my artwork to all corners of the fishing world—sweet or
salty. I’m not really focused on branding myself but on establishing myself as an artist. I live in Asheville, North Carolina with my wife
Leah and my son, Dane. I run my own residential sub-contracting business as well. Work all day, and paint all night. I was born on the
coast of South Carolina and spend most of my free time traveling the southeast chasing tarpon in the spring/summer and giant redfish
in the winter.”
You can find my art work at www.southernwaterdesigns.com
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S E AWAT C H • FA L L 2 0 1 0 31
Fishing Is Only One Part Fish.
There’s fishing the right bait, the water temperature,
the wind, the season, and then there’s the boat.
We’ll put it simply...
The Boat Matters.
To own a Contender is to own the best sportfishing boat
on the market. Period. More tournaments are won, and
more records are broken in Contenders than any other
boat in its class.
Performance Through Innovation
Official
Offshore
Boat of
CCA
Florida
www.ContenderOffshore.com | Toll Free 1.800.645.2906
32

SEAWATCH summer 2016

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