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Boat-in held as protest
Shutdown forces closure of fishing in Everglades
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
tohara@keysnews.com
A group of Upper Keys flats guides and boaters will stage a "boat-in" today -- in protest of the federal government shutdown that has forced the closure of Everglades waters to boating and fishing.
Roughly 850 square miles of Florida Bay is closed as long as the federal government is shut down. Fishing guides were notified via email last week that they had to be out of Everglades National Park waters, which include 90 percent of the bay.
The move has outraged backcountry fishermen, who make a living in park waters, as well with other boaters.
The protest will occur at 1 p.m. today at Cowpens Cut off Plantation Key near the Everglades National Park boundary. Fishing guide Tad Burke expects about 100 boats to show up, he said.
The federal budget impasse has resulted in numerous federal closures including Everglades waters, where a number of light-tackle fishing guides make their livelihoods. Although state and offshore waters remain open for sportfishing, fall is a prime time for anglers who specifically come to the Keys to fish for snook, tarpon, redfish and trout in the park's shallow-water estuaries.
"There is a higher power that we don't have control over," said Upper Keys flats guide Randy Towe, who is an organizer of the protest. "That is the point of the rally -- to raise awareness and open the parks. It's cutting off our air supply and we have done nothing wrong. I hope everybody joins in and we make a statement. They need to come up with a solution. They need to open the park on at least a limited basis."
Also, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council cancelled its monthly meeting set for Tuesday because of the federal shut down.
The Sanctuary Advisory Council was scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. It recently held a series of public meetings to get input on creating new closed fishing areas and expanding existing closed areas. Dozens of fishermen attended the meetings to voice their opposition to new closed areas. The council was scheduled to discuss how to handle the closed area proposals.
"When the shutdown has ended, I will work with (Sanctuary) Advisory Council Chair Ken Nedimyer to reschedule the meeting," Sanctuary Superintendent Sean Morton wrote in an email to advisory council members on Tuesday. "I apologize for any inconvenience and request providing your constituents and colleagues with this update."
The shut down has meant the closure of the sanctuary's Eco-Discovery Center in Key West, sanctuary mooring buoy maintenance projects and permitting of science and research projects in the sanctuary.
The shutdown has also forced the closure of Fort Jefferson and the rest of the Dry Tortugas National Park. The park is still open to transiting vessels and five park employees are still doing general maintenance work to the park, the fort and park equipment, Park Manager Glenn Simpson said.
"We have United States citizens and foreign nationals who come a come a long to visit the fort," Simpson said. "We (park employees) want to be open. We want people to visit."
Dry Tortugas National Park hosts 107 visitors on average each day in October. The park will lose an estimated $1,500 of entrance and concession fees each day of the shutdown, according to park officials.
The shutdown occurred because the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a spending bill that keeps current spending levels without funding for the Affordable Healthcare Act, aka Obamacare, while the Democratic Senate wants the program fully funded.
tohara@keysnews.com
Shutdown forces closure of fishing in Everglades
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
tohara@keysnews.com
A group of Upper Keys flats guides and boaters will stage a "boat-in" today -- in protest of the federal government shutdown that has forced the closure of Everglades waters to boating and fishing.
Roughly 850 square miles of Florida Bay is closed as long as the federal government is shut down. Fishing guides were notified via email last week that they had to be out of Everglades National Park waters, which include 90 percent of the bay.
The move has outraged backcountry fishermen, who make a living in park waters, as well with other boaters.
The protest will occur at 1 p.m. today at Cowpens Cut off Plantation Key near the Everglades National Park boundary. Fishing guide Tad Burke expects about 100 boats to show up, he said.
The federal budget impasse has resulted in numerous federal closures including Everglades waters, where a number of light-tackle fishing guides make their livelihoods. Although state and offshore waters remain open for sportfishing, fall is a prime time for anglers who specifically come to the Keys to fish for snook, tarpon, redfish and trout in the park's shallow-water estuaries.
"There is a higher power that we don't have control over," said Upper Keys flats guide Randy Towe, who is an organizer of the protest. "That is the point of the rally -- to raise awareness and open the parks. It's cutting off our air supply and we have done nothing wrong. I hope everybody joins in and we make a statement. They need to come up with a solution. They need to open the park on at least a limited basis."
Also, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council cancelled its monthly meeting set for Tuesday because of the federal shut down.
The Sanctuary Advisory Council was scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. It recently held a series of public meetings to get input on creating new closed fishing areas and expanding existing closed areas. Dozens of fishermen attended the meetings to voice their opposition to new closed areas. The council was scheduled to discuss how to handle the closed area proposals.
"When the shutdown has ended, I will work with (Sanctuary) Advisory Council Chair Ken Nedimyer to reschedule the meeting," Sanctuary Superintendent Sean Morton wrote in an email to advisory council members on Tuesday. "I apologize for any inconvenience and request providing your constituents and colleagues with this update."
The shut down has meant the closure of the sanctuary's Eco-Discovery Center in Key West, sanctuary mooring buoy maintenance projects and permitting of science and research projects in the sanctuary.
The shutdown has also forced the closure of Fort Jefferson and the rest of the Dry Tortugas National Park. The park is still open to transiting vessels and five park employees are still doing general maintenance work to the park, the fort and park equipment, Park Manager Glenn Simpson said.
"We have United States citizens and foreign nationals who come a come a long to visit the fort," Simpson said. "We (park employees) want to be open. We want people to visit."
Dry Tortugas National Park hosts 107 visitors on average each day in October. The park will lose an estimated $1,500 of entrance and concession fees each day of the shutdown, according to park officials.
The shutdown occurred because the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a spending bill that keeps current spending levels without funding for the Affordable Healthcare Act, aka Obamacare, while the Democratic Senate wants the program fully funded.
tohara@keysnews.com
