“We must change with the times and the shifting baselines that we are all seeing.”

As a lifelong resident of the Keys and a recreational and marine life fisherman, I’ve spent the last 45 years on these waters. Some of my earliest memories are fishing on my grandfather’s boat. He was a lobster and stone crab fisherman in the 1970s and ’80s here in Marathon.

Our environment in the Keys has changed since then – and not for the better. There are many reasons for this. Some are completely out of our control, but some aren’t. If 10 stressors in the environment create negative impacts and we can reduce 2, 3 or more, then shouldn’t we? We must change with the times and the shifting baselines that we are all seeing.

Of course, we don’t want to put hardworking folks out of business, but we can’t sit here for another 20 years with business as usual. If we do nothing to counteract these stressors now, the ecosystem will continue to degrade, and we will lose our way of life and the Keys as we know it. We need effective change that still allows compatible uses where possible.

“Limited use” has everyone riled up, but it’s not unreasonable. Our reefs entertain hundreds of people daily, and nearly every mooring ball is 2 boats deep. These reefs suffer with this much use. Unfortunately, limiting commercial use on these reefs to just “Blue Star” operators won’t do enough. Within a year, most commercial operators will be Blue Star anyway, so the same amount of people will be using our reefs. Sure, they will be a bit better educated, but the reefs will still be overused. Since two thirds of our high relief spur and groove reefs are already contained in SPAs, a stronger solution would be to change a small percentage of each existing SPA, say 25-33%, into conservation areas where only active coral restoration researchers and workers can go.

We need to support reef restoration through transplanting of corals. Our reefs are so void of live corals that without active restoration it is highly unlikely that it can recover. Without healthy corals, we don’t have fish to see, catch and eat.

SPA zones are ineffective in protecting resources. Instead, we should determine what the goal is in each proposed SPA and ensure it’s being addressed. For example, if we want to protect an area from anchor damage, make it a no-anchor zone. Then, all user groups can still utilize the area while protecting it from anchors. If the area truly needs to be closed, then it should be closed to all user groups, since excessive diving still damages the benthic habitat. So, I would be more for no-anchor zones or full conservation areas, if that need is demonstrated.

I wonder what kind of issues a large no-anchor zone like the one proposed off Key Largo (134 square miles) may cause. We certainly don’t want to make a change that might make things less safe on the water – for divers, fishermen, etc. I think this suggestion needs some more thought and discussion.

The small “postage-stamp” type SPAs where divers might be in the water should be idle speed only. Dive boats are currently legally required to hoist a dive flag prominently, and everyone else operating near that vessel should be driving slowly already. So, I’m not sure how much of an issue this is? I will say that for the larger proposed SPAs, if a vessel is running in 30 feet of water in Hawks Channel with no dive boat around, I don’t agree it needs to be an idle zone. If the SPA is 1-2 miles wide and runs from the shore to the reef, this would be an unnecessary inconvenience with no known net gain.

In the Middle Keys, there are proposals for idle speed around the banks in the bay. If the areas around the banks are held close to the shallow water and not too big, then a regulation like this could keep our flats safe from boat propeller damage. However, unless these areas are marked and included on GPS systems, I question the effectiveness. Still, it might be worth trying to stall the increase in prop scarring.

The good news is, no matter if you agree with my thoughts or not, if you have concerns of your own, you can be a part of the process and be heard. Make official comments, and if enough of us feel strongly about a topic, good or bad, that will come through in the process. It is my job as a member of the sanctuary advisory council to stand up for my constituents and voice our concerns and I want to encourage all of you to do the same.

Ben Daughtry
President, Aquarium Encounters