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Despite strong opposition from the recreational fishing community and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service continues to breathe life into an unacceptable plan to create a large no-fishing zone in Biscayne National Park in which you, your family and friends would no longer be able to access these public waters.
Promoted by environmental groups who don’t want to see you out on the water enjoying Florida’s sustainably-managed fisheries, the National Park Service is still considering a management plan option – Alternative 4 – that would close roughly 10,500 acres of the Park’s most popular and productive shallow water reefs to recreational fishing.
****What’s at stake? ****Not only would this marine reserve have unacceptable negative impacts on the communities that are dependent on reasonable recreational fishing access to Biscayne National Park, but it would also set a terrible precedent by locking visitors out of public waters without any clear justification.**** ****
The National Park Service is holding a final round of public input before selecting a final plan, which means anglers like you need to speak out NOW, or our fishing access could be lost forever.
Please attend one of the following identical listening sessions and speak out against the marine reserve plan. Click here for suggested talking points.
- Monday, September 22
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Pioneer Florida Museum
826 South Krome Avenue
Florida City, FL 33034 - Tuesday, September 23
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Newman Alumni Center
University of Miami, 6200 San Amaro Drive
Coral Gables, FL 33146 - Wednesday, September 24
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Key Largo
99701 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
If you cannot attend one of the in-person meetings listed above, you can send in your comments electronically.
The marine reserve proposal has been opposed by recreational fishermen ever since it was first proposed in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, all the hard work that has gone into the development of other less restrictive management measures could be for nothing if the National Park Service moves forward with Alternative 4. Please speak out now before it’s too late.
