Resolution 307-1992
Commissioner London
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A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE CO~Y , FLORIDA, REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR AND
CARINETTO RECONSIDER THE NEW RULE WHICH WOULD EXPAND
~lJ~E S'ptJ:R'l' fDtVER SEASON FOR LOBSTERS IN MONROE COUNTY
AND TO INSTRUCT THE MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO
READDRESS ABOLISHING OF THE TWO DAY SPORT DIVER SEASON
IN MONROE COUNTY.
RESOLUTION NO. 307-1992
WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has provided that the
Marine Fisheries Commission has rule-making power with respect to
marine life; and
WHEREAS, this rule-making power is subject to the final
approval of the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the head of the
Department of Natural Resources; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 46-24 of the Florida Administrative Code
provides for a sport season for recreational harvesters of spiny
lobster, which season shall occur on the last full weekend prior
to August 1st of each year; and
WHEREAS, the said sport season has visited upon Monroe
County devastation by way of inundation of the County with
vehicles, illegal campers, boats and divers, which during the
said 48 hours, have plundered the spiny lobster population,
greatly damaging the underwater resources of the County, and
decimating the population of the spiny lobster; and
WHEREAS, the said "sports divers" have despoiled the County
with trash and garbage and have overtaxed our law enforcement
capabilities; and
WHEREAS, the latest action of shifting the State's spiny
lobster sport season to Wednesday and Thursday is totally
inconsistent with the Monroe County Commission's previous action
in Resolution No. 160-1991, unanimously adopted on April 24,
1991, requesting that the so-called sport season be abolished
altogether or remain a two day event only; and
WHEREAS, these combined decisions have now expanded the
sport diving season to the detriment of Monroe County, its
citizens and the spiny lobster; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, as follows:
Section 1.
The Board hereby respectfully appeals to the
Governor and Cabinet to reconsider and reject the new rule moving
the State spiny lobster season to mid-week. By rejecting this
rule, the lobster season would thus remain the last full weekend
in July and coincide with the Federal season.
Section 2.
The Board hereby requests that the Governor
and Cabinet instruct the Narine Fisheries Commission to
re-address the issue of completely terminating the spiny lobster
sport season in Monroe County.
Section 3.
The Clerk of the Board is hereby directed to
send a copy of this Resolution to the Governor and each Cabinet
member.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of
Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held
on the
10th
day of
June , 1992.
Mayor Harvey
Mayor Pro Tem London
Commissioner Cheal
Commissioner Jones
Commissioner Stormont
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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By I
Attorney's Office
Date 4 ) /~_~1 "l-..
(SEAL)
ATTEST: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
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Mayor/Ct;al.rmari' .....,~
OK~~rY ~O~~~04~E
(305) 294-4641
Honorable (Governor Chiles, Cabinet Member):
BOARD OF COUNlY COMMISSIONERS
MAYOR, Wilhelmina Harvey, District 1
Mayor Pro Tem, Jack London, District 2
Douglas Jones, District 3
A. Earl Cheal, District 4
John Stormont, District 4
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners unanimously appeals
to you to reject the Marine Fisheries Com~ission recommendation
that the Two Day sport Diver Lobster Season be continued and moved
to the last Wednesday and Thursday of July.
Rather than reduce serious impacts currently experienced
during the two day season here in Monroe County, the Marine
Fisheries proposed rule would further exacerbate an already
difficult situation by actually expanding the season, since it
would immediately precede the federal season set for the last full
weekend in July.
In addition, if the State season begins before the Federal
season, it will complicate the enforcement problem by making :t
necessary to determine where lobsters are taken from - State cr
Federal waters.
Governor Chiles, please allow us to give you some backqro~nd
as to how the Monroe county Commission rea-:::hed its decision to vote
unanimously in favor of abolishing the season entirely.
During the past decade the near shore waters of Monroe County
have been negatively impacted by elements over which we have little
or no control. We are currently attempting to address some of
these prOblems in the land use plan we are writin9. Not the least
of these 1s the two day "sport" lobster season, an annual calami ty
which the overwhelming majority of our res~dents have come to abhor
as well as resent.
A number of organizations and pUblications have taken strong
positions supporting our stand on this issue. The Key West and Key
Largo Chambers of Commerce have gone on record calling for t~e
abolition of the mini season, and several newspapers have Nritten
editorials demanding an end to it. We have provided copies of
these for your consideration.
During the scoping hearings on the National Marine Sanctuary,
Monroe County residents undoubtedly voiced their stIongest
objections to the very existence of the t....'o day "sport diving
lobster season." While this event is underway the Keys are
inundated with vehicles, illegal campers, boats and divers who
spend 48 hours plunderinq our precious marine resources. Its
negative impact far exceeds that of the yearly Spring Break, yet
another dreaded event our citizens must endure, since the damage
divers do underwater is more serious than the inconvenience of
noise and litter creat~d by college students.
Based on the testimony at these hearings, as well as the views
elicited from constituents, it is apparent that the enviro~~ental
impacts of this event far outweigh its short term economic benefit,
and most of our residents want an end to it. What was once a bit
of a holiday for a few hundred people has turned into a nightmare,
an all out invasion where literally thousands of divers and boats
from allover the country descend on Monroe County.
Responding to the public outcry, in April the commission
unanimously passed Resolution no. 160-1991 requesting that the two
day sport diving lobster season be abolished. The many letters and
phone calls we have received since then in support of this position
confirm our belief that the majority of Monroe County residents
want an end to this carnage.
It strikes us as the height of hypocrisy for the State to
demand that we regulate our waters in the name of conservation, yet
under the guise of a "sport diving lobster season" allow this
environmental outrage to continue. Recreational divers are always
welcome in the Keys, but these two days encourage a legal massacre,
which is an environmental embarrassment that the State of Florida,
as well as Monroe county, can do without. On behalf of the
citizens of beleaguered Monroe county, we appeal to you to reject
the recommendation of the Marine Fisheries Commission and put an
end to this travesty.
Respectfully submitted,
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I'
Wilhelmina Harvey, Mayor
On behalf of all rr.embers of
Commissioners
t~e Mor~roe
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