Simultaneous meetings produce new fish rules

A catch limit for spiny lobster, an extended closure for snook,and enhanced protection for permit highlighted simultaneous state and federal fisheries panel meetings in Key West and St. Augustine on Thursday.

At a joint meeting of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fishery management councils in Key West, Keys commercial fishers were relieved to learn that two spiny lobster measures they had considered onerous likely would be shelved.

A network of closed areas aimed at protecting elkhorn and staghorn coral and a trap marking requirement have been removed from a proposed amendment that the two federal councils are expected to approve Friday.

A joint council advisory committee recommended that commercial fishers, managers and conservationists work together to develop a coral protection plan to be adopted later. The committee also called for fishers and managers to come up with a way to mark lobster trap lines to avoid interaction with protected species such as sea turtles and sawfish.

The two councils are expected to adopt an annual catch limit for lobster of 7.3 million pounds Friday which Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, says his members can live with. If passed, the amendment would go to the secretary of commerce for final approval.

Commercial fishers were adamantly opposed to a proposed federal map that would have closed numerous areas along the Keys to trapping in the name of coral protection. They told council members at a public hearing Thursday they had no problem with protecting coral, but the map didn’t make sense.

“Please keep in mind you have fishermen here who know the area. Use them,” advised commercial fisher Daniel Padron. “Keep them in consideration before you shut that area down.”

The trap marking requirement, fishermen contended, would have cost them millions to retool their gear while providing little benefit to protected species.

“It would cost me $111,000 and 200 man-days to replace the ropes on my traps,” said Gary Nichols, president of Nichols Seafood on Conch Key.

Meanwhile, in St. Augustine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gave final approval to a rule aimed at enhancing protection for permit—a popular South Florida gamefish – and managing the species separately from Florida and African pompano. The new measure, which takes affect Aug. 31, creates a special permit zone in the Keys with tighter regulations than the rest of the state. The rule also extends regulation for all three species into federal waters.

Florida Keys Map An Essential Tool For Visitors To The Area

The Florida Keys is a complex archipelago extending over 120 miles (190 kilometers) into the Gulf of Mexico from the southern tip of the Florida panhandle. The chain is comprised of over 4,500 islands and cays surrounded by the azure waters of the gulf. Visitors to the area are strongly advised to carry a Florida Keys map because the geography is fiendishly complicated.

Many of the islands are fringed by long sections of stunning coral reefs. The area is a veritable marine paradise. It attracts keen anglers, boaters, scuba divers and snorkelers, and water sport enthusiasts. There is a continuous flow of visitors to the region throughout the year, summer and winter.

The chain is characterized by a tropical climate. The archipelago divides into at least four separate local areas of the upper, middle and lower keys plus the outlying islands. Moving north to south, the major islands are Key Largo, Tavernier, Plantation, Islamorada, Layton, Marathon, Big Pine Key, Boca Chica and finally Key West that lies 90 miles north of Cuba.

Geologists believe the Lower Keys might be part of the long Appalachian ridgeline that extends along the east coast of the USA. The islands are foundered on a deep base of fossil coral layered with an egg-shaped limestone granules known as oolite. Other hints that support this conclusion is their northward alignment and the natural presence of fresh water sources on Big Pine Key.

It was well-placed for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas. It was also on the main trade route to and from New Orleans. As improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, during the late nineteenth century, its fortunes waned. Key West remains one of the most visited of the islands and is a constant host to large ocean cruise ships.

Vessels with shallow draft travel to the islands from Miami via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). From Biscayne Bay, the ICW runs through Card Sound and Barnes Sound into Florida Bay. Passage along this route is possible by boats with a draft of no more than five feet. Larger vessels requiring greater draft take the ocean route through Hawk Channel. This route is marked by permanent buoys and is flanked by the outer-most reefs on the east and the islands on the west.

In summary, a Florida Keys map is a valuable tool when trying to move about the complicated, circuitous maze of islands. There is so much to see and do it would be a pity to not to make it to where you want to go. A map will help you find your target.

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Lonely Planet Miami & the Keys, City Guides

Florida Keys Map

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