[dropcap]E[/dropcap]stuaries carry the lifeblood of our local fisheries, but their “big picture” importance is often ignored, even by folks who should care the most. Sure, people who fish in estuaries – like the Indian River Lagoon locally – appreciate all that these systems have to offer. But what about reef fishermen, recreational divers, commercial shrimpers and stone crabbers… why should they care about protecting estuarine habitats? It’s simple – the vast majority of the fish and shellfish we eat spend part of their life in estuaries, even though many of these species are eventually harvested somewhere else. Shrimp. Crabs. Snapper and grouper. Colorful tropical reef fish. Baitfish and forage fish that keep our favorite gamefish fat and happy. All of these species rely on “nursery habitats” in estuaries to get them through the first part of their life.
Despite the clear link between estuary health and fishery health, single-species management—rules and regulations aimed at conserving a specific species, and only that species (think red snapper… or snook… or lobsters…)— is the most common approach to protecting our fisheries. Scientists, recreational anglers, and commercial fishermen alike see this as a simple and straightforward strategy for managing the fish we value. Want to eventually bring home more snapper? Temporarily reduce harvests. Want to catch bigger snook? Decrease the maximum size limit. Want to see more bonefish on the flats? Prohibit harvest altogether. While single-species conservation measures for gamefish are a critical part of fisheries management here in Florida, if we don’t do a better job of managing for the overall health of our coastal ecosystems, no amount of species-specific protection will matter.
Ecosystem-based fisheries management – protecting entire ecosystems and all of their moving parts – is quickly proving to be a more effective way to conserve multiple fish species at the same time. Closed seasons, size limits, and bag limits will mean nothing if we don’t work harder to conserve all of the various puzzle pieces that our gamefish use throughout their lives. This includes protecting nursery habitats like seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and mangrove forests. It also means protecting non-gamefish members of the coastal food web, including forage fish and other data-limited, understudied, and underappreciated species. Simply put, without habitat and food, we won’t have gamefish in our future. Unfortunately, as logical as this concept sounds, you’d be surprised at just how little emphasis has been placed on ecosystem-based fisheries management by the agencies tasked at protecting our fish stocks.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s recent resolution recognizing the importance of forage fish, as well as their move to protect great barracuda (a key member of the nearshore food web), is a big step in the right direction towards ecosystem-based fisheries management. Sadly, our Indian River Lagoon estuary and other coastal systems throughout the state are still being irreparably damaged by human activities. The Indian River Lagoon provides nursery habitat for many of the gamefish species we target, as well as the prey fish that fuel their growth. At this point, I’m afraid that the Indian River Lagoon is at an ecological tipping point. As we continue to pump untold volumes of freshwater, fertilizer, septic tank discharge, and muck into the estuary, we are consciously turning a blind eye to the slow but eminent demise of the system. The Indian River Lagoon is dying, ladies and gentlemen, and we are doing nothing about it! The seagrass recovery that we have seen in some areas of the lagoon this summer should not give us a false sense of security, or cause us to become complacent. Let’s not forget the 47,000 acres of seagrass – critical habitat for countless species – that was lost during the algae superblooms of 2011. If actions aren’t immediately taken to improve water quality in the Indian River Lagoon and other coastal systems, we could be back in that position in the blink of an eye.
There is certainly a point of no return for damaged ecosystems. Unfortunately, we often don’t recognize that point until it has passed. Please don’t let Florida’s coastal ecosystems slip past the point of no return! Make your voice heard. Let your actions show that you care about protecting these ecosystems and the fisheries they support so our children and grandchildren will have something left to fish for. Fight for healthier ecosystems, for the sake of our fish, our health, and our future.
September is Estuaries Month at Florida Oceanographic Society. Join us on Sunday, September 27th for our annual “Ais on the Lagoon” paddling event to celebrate the Indian River Lagoon estuary and the native people who originally called our area home. For more information, visit www.floridaocean.org, or swing by the Florida Oceanographic Society Coastal Center in Stuart. While you’re here, be sure to check out our 750,000 gallon “Gamefish Lagoon” – a living model of the Indian River Lagoon estuary, complete with snook, tarpon, redfish, permit, and much more.
