STA-SEA’S NATURE COAST ADVENTURES

I write this column every month to entertain, and also, to share my journey. Its normally pretty lighthearted, and hopefully, educational.  This month though, I would like to talk about something much more serious, the catastrophe, of what is happening all over our state, the red tide and algae bloom. We are seeing record numbers of fish kills. We have stood by, and watched the decline of our amazing waterways. Today, that decline is accelerating at a record pace. Death of these waters is imminent if we, as a whole, don’t take action.
This is a state of dire emergency. If this were a hurricane, we would get relief as soon as the storm passed. Well, this storm isn’t passing! Sure, in a few months, it will cool off, and the rains will cease, and we will think everything is back to normal. It won’t ever be back to normal until every Floridian takes a stand to save our waters! Our fisheries are dying. Our estuaries are dying. Our precious everglades are dying. Mosquito Lagoon, one of the best fisheries in the entire world, is close to death. We have witnessed the long-term decline of estuaries across south Florida – and we have seen the rapid acceleration of that decline, over just the past few years. There have been no significant changes made to solve this enormous problem. I can’t stress strongly enough, that the time for change is now. The time for change was long ago, and we failed to see the magnitude. We have to show our children and grandchildren that we will not take “No” for an answer, and that we the people, demand change.
What will it take? Have you driven south lately? Have you smelled the stench of rotting carcasses? It’s heartbreaking. Dead manatees are washing up on our beaches, also, snook, grouper, dolphins and turtles. Our captains, tour guides, bait stores, recreational rental companies, real estate firms, and Florida tourism in general, are taking a huge financial hit. The Coastal Conservation Association needs volunteers to implement their initiatives. They have projects that will directly affect SW Florida, SE Florida and Mosquito Lagoon.  The CCA is the only organization that has actual habitat projects & are working for water quality. The Coastal Conservation Association works diligently to develop creative and workable solutions, which will provide additional short term and lasting relief to our estuaries. Please visit them at CCAFlorida.org and volunteer your time. You can also visit captainsforcleanwater.org and take a stand. It’s up to all of us to make this change, and take our Florida back! Don’t let Florida be just a theme park destination. Let’s make our waters pristine again. Fishing Capital of the World, is a title that is sadly withering away.

Captain Stacy Horak
Cell 352-553-3604
Facebook:CaptainStacy Horak
Instagram: captain_stacyhorakfishing
Website: www.
fishingwithcaptainstacy.com