A Times Editorial

A reserve is right for Tortugas

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 2, 2000

The healthiest coral reefs in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary surround Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 watery miles from Key West. Yet even those reefs are under siege.

Noted as prime fishing grounds and near shipping channels, the reefs and their waters are showing substantial damage from overfishing and carelessness. The average size of black grouper caught in the area has dropped from 221/2 pounds to 9 pounds. And the reefs (some are 400 years old) bear destructive scars where large ships dropped anchors weighing several tons.

The sanctuary has proposed a solution that is serious and appropriate: Establish Tortugas Ecological Reserve on 151 square nautical miles north and south of the park. Then the waters would be off-limits to fishing (including spear fishing), and only boats shorter than 100 feet would be allowed to stop there, using mooring buoys instead of anchors.

Some in the commercial and sport fishing industries have objected to the restrictions, but creation of a reserve could help them over time. The reefs are in the path of the powerful Gulf Stream and "as a result, the Tortugas is a swirling vortex of marine biodiversity fueled by one of the world's strongest currents," according to the sanctuary's Web site. As fish, lobsters and other marine organisms breed in protected reef areas, some will be carried by currents into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, where fishing should improve.

If federal and state fishery agencies approve the reserve, the final decision will be up to Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet, perhaps early next year.

It is difficult to imagine a reasonable argument against the reserve. Years in the making, the process hasn't moved too quickly. Sanctuary officials listened to a 25-member advisory group that included fishermen and other interested parties before settling on a final proposal. This month, they are taking public comments at meetings throughout the state.

Once the proposal makes it to the governor and Cabinet, their choice should be clear. The Tortugas Ecological Reserve is a creative way to conserve a unique and valuable resource.

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