nfcc: national fisheries conservation center

The Marine Reserves In The Dry Tortugas Area: How We Got There And Why
By Peter Gladding

As a commercial fisherman in the Dry Tortugas, I've seen the area affected by many changes and pressures from fisheries over the past 30 years. When the Tortugas 2000 group was formed, I decided to join the group to try and give some insight from the commercial fisherman's point of view. Our working group on the T-2000 comprised many different types of people from all sectors of the public, including environmental groups, scientists, fishermen (commercial and recreational), state and federal managers, law enforcement, and citizens-at-large.

We, as a group, were given the task to lay out marine reserves for the Tortugas area. It took us two years of many meetings to come up with decisions that all parties could agree on. As a commercial fisherman, I felt that I had personal knowledge of the area that would help in the process of deciding why certain areas should be chosen and where and how big they should be. I felt that I was well received and listened to by the rest of the working group.

We decided to site the reserve in the Tortugas area because:

It is one of the last pristine reefs and is relatively isolated; and
This area has had a tremendous amount of pressure over the last 30 years from commercial fishing and, also from some recreational fishing. It is very delicate.

As a working group we decided that both diversity and size (in square miles) were key factors in developing a reserve that would do what it is supposed to do. Riley's Hump was picked by the working group as one of the first places to be considered. This area was picked because it is upstream from all the Florida Keys reefs and the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Coast. It is also a known spawning area for mutton snappers, yellowtail snappers, grey snappers, red grouper, black grouper, and blue runners, and serves as a bedding down area for a large school of King mackerel.

With the closure of Riley's Hump, I feel fish stocks will rebound because an increase in spawning stock biomass will result in larval dispersal up the Keys and eastern seaboard. For the last 30 years, Riley's Hump has had to endure extreme amounts of fishing pressure by every type of gear used by commercial fishermen -- myself included. I've seen a decline in fish abundance in this area. It needs protection.

The north zone was created to protect biodiversity and habitat, and also to protect Sherwood Forest -- an area that contains extremely variable habitat, from coral outcrops, to mud, and everything in between. Therefore, as a working group, we decided on this area to set aside to represent the many different habitat types found in the Dry Tortugas area.

As a member of the working group of 24 people, I would like to congratulate all members for putting in their time and effort in coming up with a unanimous decision on the Tortugas 2000 reserve. In 30 years working as a commercial fisherman and attending many, many meetings, this is the first time we have ever walked away with a unanimous decision. I personally feel this reserve will show results in one year, especially Riley's Hump. I support the Tortugas 2000 marine reserve.

Peter Gladding is captain of the F/V Alexis M, fishing out of Key West. He has commercially fished the Dry Tortugas area for 30 years.