Freshwater Fisheries Roundtable - The White - Knights for Florida's
Future
King Arthur had his knights of the
roundtable, and now Darrell Scovell, Director of the Division of
Freshwater Fisheries Management (Division), has his roundtable,
too. The Arthurian legend shows the noble contributions of the
knights, which still shines brightly today.
Among the characters in the
legend, the enigmatic Fisher King suffered through great pain while
protecting the Holy Grail and found relief in fishing—an all too
clear analogy to the challenges growth is placing on Florida’s
hallowed fisheries. On Oct. 19, the Division leadership convened a
roundtable using Group Solutions to moderate the event. The intent
was to help identify key issues that may cause pain and suffering to
Florida’s freshwater fisheries and anglers and to create a vision
for the future—our Holy Grail. In the meeting were outdoor writers,
university professors, fishing tackle manufacturers and retailers,
fishing tournament sponsors, professional fishing guides and others
who hold a stake in the future of Florida’s freshwater fisheries.
Participants began by identifying
the key government players that are involved in ensuring safe and
sustainable freshwater fisheries for Florida. They identified the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Department
of Environmental Protection, Water Management Districts, U. S. Corps
of Engineers and municipal governments as being key players.
Those selections seem very
appropriate, since in the next phase they identified aquatic plant
management as the most important issue, followed by water quality
(pollution issues, both point and non-point), then water quantity
concerns (minimum flows in rivers, high/low water schedules and
timings in lakes), and education and outreach. Outreach is
generally described as efforts to recruit/retain anglers and inform
them of their crucial role in protecting our resources. Further
down the list were issues of regulation management, fish stocking
and more traditional conservation agency responsibilities.
The roundtable participants
indicated that access issues were the key deterrents to recreational
fishing participation. Similarly, knowledge about how and where to
go fishing needs to be better dispersed. The cost of fishing tackle
and licenses were viewed as a very minor impediment to participants.
The roundtable results were very
similar to recent survey results conducted by both agency staff and
objective third-party researchers, and also confirmed the issues
identified in a series of local zone summits that the Division held
last year for anglers and citizens. Based on these background
issues the “knights” of our roundtable agreed to serve by continuing
to provide input to the FWC and to maintain an open dialogue about
issues and their solutions. They considered the need to organize
into a proactive coalition and possibly assist with developing a new
written vision and facilitating plans to ensure that Florida remains
the “Fishing Capital of the World.”
Stay tuned for what happens next
in our quest as the Division continues to work with stakeholders to
create a shining Camelot in the future for Florida’s fish and
anglers.
Instant licenses are available
online at
MyFWC.com/License or by calling 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356).
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