Sustaining Florida's Marine Resources
George J. Geiger, Coastal Conservation Association Florida
A too often used metaphor is “Florida is at a crossroads”. However today it is true! The Marine Resource held in public trust by the FFWCC represents one of the cornerstones of “Wild Florida”. As importantly, these resources fuel an economic engine generating a minimum $6 Billion annually.
Florida’s future as pertains to providing “wild aspects”, as well as continuing economic growth, must focus on current management and future practice. Unfortunately we continue to react to issues or imperatives resultant from single species stock evaluations (stock assessments), which are accomplished on what, are referred to as “economically important species” (EI species) and only a smattering of prey species. In the current scenario forage stocks, necessary for sustaining the health of the “EI species” go mostly un-assessed and to my knowledge unlinked, and as such un-managed. Initial management of these forage species should be; if there is no current fishery prohibit harvest, if there is a fishery cap harvest at current level all the while both assessing the stocks and, most importantly, determining the biomass needed to sustain healthy populations of all species dependant on them. Only by understanding this critical linkage we can only then begin to manage more than by single species, hence embark on Ecosystem Based Management.
As importantly, habitat destruction and diminished water quality issues affecting our estuarine habitats seemingly go unattended without single point focus. This must change. As good a job as the FFWCC has done managing the resource to date, it should and must be better staffed to achieve long term management goals. Management of our marine resources should be visionary rather than reactive. Good management is about identifying potential problems and forestalling them, as opposed to reacting after they are identified as a crisis. While this may be difficult it should be a priori. That of course means sacrifice on the part of user groups and the courage necessary to manage for the sustainability of the resource, versus pandering to the small but loud egocentric public. The collective role for all the players in this effort should be providing the support necessary for the FFWCC to obtain the funding to build an organization capable of this style of management and the necessary support staff to carry it through.
It is in the best interests of all stakeholders, consumptive and non-consumptive to pay attention to the current management practices and to the extent practical see that they are designed to ensure resource sustainability. In today’s environment the “collective we” should be able to come together and focus on the resource and related research and management needs, as opposed to looking out for the self interests of individuals or a group.
Certainly all stakeholders will never agree on how to resolve all issues, however there is sufficient common ground where working together will serve the resource, the collective citizens of Florida, and ultimately the goals of individual stakeholder group.
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