Posted on April, 25 2001
The reserve was designed by a diverse group of Florida fishermen, collectors, conservationists, scientists and others who have worked since 1998 to protect the lush coral reefs and productive spawning grounds of the remote Dry Tortugas, some 70 miles west of Key West in the Florida Keys. It will be the largest no-fishing zone in U.S. waters.
"We are so pleased by Florida's decision," said Kathryn Fuller, president of WWF-US, who testified before the governor and cabinet on behalf of the organization's 77,500 Florida members. "The Tortugas Reserve will not only protect an irreplaceable, high-biodiversity coral reef ecosystem; it will also help replenish depleted fisheries throughout the Keys and beyond, benefiting fishermen, too."
Commercial and recreational fishermen, who will give up fishing in the reserve's 191 square nautical miles, were at first leery of the proposition. "When we first heard about marine reserves there was a lot of fear," said commercial fisherman Tony Iarocci. "But once people got involved in the Tortugas project, the fear started to fade away. I'm now convinced that the Tortugas Reserve will help deal with overfishing and protect a critical breeding ground for the fish. That's why I'm here today instead of out fishing."
Perhaps the most persuasive and heartfelt testimony came from the 10, 11, and 12-year-old public school students who made the long trip from the Florida Keys. "We believe that our generation is entitled to inherit an intact environment from your generation," said sixth-grader Ariel Taylor-Manges to Florida's decisionmakers. "Protecting the Tortugas today will help assure our home's ocean environment now and into the future," she said. "These kids have spent untold hours researching, discussing and preparing to participate in these decisions, decisions that will affect their lives," said Beth Pinkus, the students' teacher.
This wholehearted endorsement is especially remarkable in the Florida Keys, where only ten years ago fishermen and other Keys residents vociferously opposed establishment of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which will manage the new reserve. Local protesters went so far as to burn the Sanctuary superintendent in effigy. But through the careful deliberations of the Tortugas 2000 Working Group, which designed the reserve, stakeholders who were used to fighting each other in pitched environmental battles found that they could work together to create benefits for everyone. "We all have to do our part to ensure a healthy environment and plenty of fish for future generations," said Richard Grathwohl, a recreational fishing guide from the Florida Keys. "I'm proud to support the Tortugas Reserve and excited about the benefits it promises for both wildlife and fishermen." The Florida Keys are home to the world's third-largest coral barrier reef.
The decision follows unanimous votes in support of the reserve by the diverse interests of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Sanctuary Advisory Council and the Tortugas 2000 Working Group; and a 15-1 vote by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. In March 2001, 73.8 square nautical miles of the reserve went into effect in federal waters. The governor and cabinet's decision adds 77.2 square nautical miles of state waters to the protected area. An upcoming decision by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton is expected to establish the final 46 square nautical miles of the reserve in Dry Tortugas National Park.
For further information contact:
Debra S. Harrison, Tel: 1 305 289 1010 (O)1 305 731 5174 (Mobile). Email: forpanda@bellsouth.net