FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Oct. 20, 2003) -- State wildlife officials are drawing up a plan to regulate the construction of artificial reefs and figure out their impact on the environment and fish populations. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to vote next month on an artificial reef strategic plan intended to find ways to build more reefs, conduct research on their impact and do a better job of regulating their construction. A 15-member advisory board of county artificial reef officials, charter captains, environmentalists and divers drafted the initial plan, which some environmentalists have denounced. More than 2,000 artificial reefs built from wrecked ships, concrete pilings or even old refrigerators lie near Florida's coast and are popular with fishermen. Proponents say they provide places for algae and coral to grow and generate currents that draw in plankton, creating new habitats for fish to multiply. But some environmentalists say artificial reefs may be harming dwindling populations of snapper, grouper and other fish because of their popularity with anglers. "Do they only attract fish so that fishermen can take more fish?" asked David White, southeast regional director of the Ocean Conservancy. "If they're just giant fish attractors, they're just leading to greater depletion of fish." | | The Ocean Conservancy, which had a representative on the advisory board, now denounces the plan. The conservancy is upset that the fish and wildlife commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor, removed various conservation measures. For example, the commission removed a section that recommended some artificial reefs be designated no-fishing zones. The zones allow depleted species to be protected and the environmental impact of reefs to be studied. "These environmental components have been withdrawn, and they've changed to focus on economics instead of conservation," said Marianne Cufone, regional conservation program manager for the Ocean Conservancy. Commission Chairman Edwin Roberts, an avid fisherman from Pensacola, said he took out the no-fishing zone provision because he opposes the use of such a drastic management measure. "We do a real good job managing our fisheries in Florida," he said. "No-fishing zones don't have a place in the way we manage our fisheries." |
