BTT Partners with KeysKeeper and Florida Keys Guide Associations to Call For Catch and Release Zones As Part of Sanctuary Plan
By AARON ADAMS, STEVE TRIPPE, JOHN O’HEARN and DUANE BAKER
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ongoing management revision process of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is a cause of great concern to many in the Florida Keys. Most admit that with the growing human population in the Keys and increasing use of the Keys resources, there is need for a revised approach to how these resources and user groups are managed. There is much debate, however, on what a new management approach should look like.
Bonefish release (BTT).
The challenge is to design a management plan that accommodates the needs of user groups while addressing threats to the natural resources. Any plan needs also to reflect the historical uses and protect the original intent of the creation of the sanctuary. This requires a process of identifying threats and applying management measures that address the threats while causing the least harm to responsible and sustainable uses of the natural resources within the sanctuary.
In large part, this is the process that has been employed in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Zoning and Management Review.
However, in the face of the complexity of the issues being addressed, there seems to be a trend to propose a “one size fits all” approach.
