More than a 25 percent of America’s saltwater fishing takes
place in Florida. Half of that is under direct threat from the oil that
continues to leak off the coast of Louisiana. And no one knows just how
bad
it’s going to be.
“There’s just not a lot of information about the fish species
in Gulf, so there’s no way to predict just how bad this crisis is going
to be,”
says Aaron Adams, Ph.D., director of operations for the Bonefish&Tarpon
Trust and manager of
the fisheries habitat ecology program for Mote Marine
Laboratory. “We don’t
know how these fish live in the Gulf under normal conditions, so we’re
really
in a hole in figuring out to just how much the oil and toxins are going
to
effect them.”
After 45 days of oil gushing out of the damaged well, the
Florida coast is now starting to see some of the tar balls on the beach
and oil
slicks off the coast that Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama saw nearly
a
month ago. While the current fishing conditions in Florida remain good,
the
publicity and threat of oil-soaked beaches continue to plague those
captains
fishing the Florida Gulf.
“Sportfishing and tourism go hand in hand in this state,” says
Captain Dave Lear, outdoor writer and editor, fishing guide and former
executive director of billfish.org/new/index.asp”>The
Billfish Foundation. “Even though the oil is still more than 150
miles away
and our current fishing conditions are normal, people don't want to
spend their
vacation watching oil and tar balls washing up on the beach.”
But Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Commission continue to try to combat the bad press with free
fishing weekends. Both this weekend and Memorial Weekend were
declared free
saltwater fishing days in hopes that it “will do wonders for our
business
communities that have been suffering cancellations since the oil spill
started.”
“St. George Island and Cape San Blas vacation rental
properties are experiencing cancellations and bookings are down
considerably
for this historical peak period,” says Lear. “Since a big part of my
clientele
is tourism-related, that does have an impact on charter bookings. The
phone or
web inquiries are also off from previous seasons. I suspect folks are
waiting
to see where the oil is going before they book their reservations or
charters.”
While the collateral damage from the oil spill has already
leaked into Florida, the actual damage may not be far behind. The oil
leak
might not affect this current tarpon, redfish, snook, and other
saltwater gamefish
seasons, but what has many worried is how the oils and toxins will
affect these
species throughout their life cycle in the Gulf.
“If you take tarpon as an example, our best guess based on preliminary
data is that they spawn 100 miles off the coast. If they do spawn
offshore, they will encounter oil,” says Adams. “We
don’t know
how it will effect them, both the adult fish and the larvae. Once tarpon
leave
Florida, they go to the northern part of the Gulf and feed on shrimp and
other
smaller species—that is smack in the middle of the oil. There might not
be any
food for them once they get there. tarpon is just one example, there are
similar issues with cobia, amberjack, tuna, and a host of other
species.”
And, Adams stresses, this is just based on the data that they
do have on these species. One of the many frustrating aspects of this
tragedy
is the lack of base knowledge on gamefish species in the Gulf, and
therefore
not knowing how to work to prevent permanent, long-term damage to the
species.
“This has never happened before. There’s never been an oil
spill of this magnitude, so no one really knows where it’s going to end
up,”
says Adams. “That plus a lack of fisheries and natural resources funding
in
this area makes it nearly impossible to predict the full effect this oil
have
on our fish species.”
While no one knows the lasting effects, the other big question
right now is where this oil is going to end up. (Click here to see the map of the current fishing closures.)
“The amount of oil that is already in the Gulf now, I don’t
see how it’s not going to go into the Loop Current, and once it goes
around the
Keys, it will end up in the Gulf Stream and go up the Atlantic coast.
From
there, it will have a whole host of recreational fishing impact,” says
Adams. “And
these pathways aren’t concrete, there are eddies that will break off and
come
in shore. If a hurricane or tropical storm comes through, who knows what
will
happen.”
Similarly to a hurricane, there may be some areas, thanks to
the currents and winds, that may avoid the tragedy altogether.
“With the prevailing currents we could be spared in the Big
Bend area, so I'd urge folks to go ahead with their plans,” says Lear.
“I will
refund deposits if the situation worsens. But I'm keeping my fingers
crossed
that it doesn't come down to that.”
While some beaches and inshore fishing areas may be spared
from direct contact with the oil, the secondary effects may be the ones
that
recreational anglers need to fear the most. As shocking as the images
coming
from the Gulf are, with oil-soaked pelicans and green marshlands turned
brown,
the real threat to these popular species could be in the subsurface oil.
“This crisis is not just tar balls and oil slicks. The suspended
oil and the toxins from the dispersants and the oil means mortality for
the
plankton,” says Adams. “The fish that eat that plankton and the fish
that eat
those fish are going to be the secondary effects that are going to
really hurt
fishing in the Gulf. tarpon, redfish, snook, the list goes on. You can’t
take
pictures of this. You can’t show it on the evening news. But it will
have
short- and long-term effects on fish.”
As Florida’s fishing industry holds its breath hoping to avoid
total disaster, the entire fishing community continues to be enraged by
the
lack of answers and solutions to this crisis. While relief has been
coming in
financial claims and retribution, the only way that all those who live
off the
Gull feel any actual relief is when the leak is stopped and the cleanup
process
can truly commence.
“If the latest capping effort is successful in containing most
of the outflow, I believe Mother Nature will do her best eventually,”
says
Lear. “But BP and the feds have to do a better job than they have been
so far
in ramping up the cleanup effort and preventing the oil from reaching
the
critical estuaries. The areas I fish: Apalachicola Bay, St. Joe Bay and
the St.
Marks National Wildlife Refuge are important nursery areas for juvenile
finfish
and shrimp. If the oil is allowed to cover those sensitive grass beds
and tidal
marsh, our fisheries are going to take a long, long time to recover. And
that
will truly be a national tragedy.”
If there is one thing that all parties can agree on, it’s that
every industry needs to be better prepared in the event of another
catastrophe
like this. Oil rigs need to have better systems to close off a fractured
well.
Cleanup efforts need to be better organized and equipped. And fish and
wildlife
conservation needs to have a better understanding on how they can save
the
effected species.
“Hopefully this tragedy will be the wakeup call to those who
control the purse-strings to provide the adequate funding needed to
invest in
this resource and collect the data needed,” says Adams. “That way, we
can
handle the situation better if it happens again.”
–By Brian McClintock
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GoFISHn has been following the Gulf crisis closely. Check out these other updates from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill:
Will the Oil Spread to the Atlantic Coast?
And Some Photos You Must See posted by Mary
Pinkowish
Florida at risk + 37% of gulf now off limits
to fishing + Underwater Oil Plumes?
Understanding the Gulf Oil Spill
