Marine News Fall 2004 – Endangered and Threatened in Florida
Marine News Fall 2004 - Endangered and Threatened in Florida
Our oceans are home to many marine mammals, fish, turtles, corals and others. The delicate balance between man and the ocean is constantly being challenged by the demands of our society. Most of our planet is covered by water, a necessary ingredient of human life. The state of our oceans should be uppermost in our minds in order for quality of life for all species to remain as it is.Florida's West Indiana Manatee-What is Killing Them? The top manatee story after the recent hurricanes was in Lee County where residents rescued a manatee that was the victim of Hurricane Charley's storm surge. The stunned and tired manatee was splashed onto Pearl Street after the storm surge receded. This was one manatee that did not have to be included in the mortality numbers this year.The manatees killed this year are divided into categories by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. 1/1/04 - 9/30/04 numbers: Watercraft-60, Flood Gates-1, Other human-4, Perinatal-65, Cold-36, Natural-20, Undetermined-43, Unrecovered-2 for a total of 231.According to the February 2004 count of manatees in Florida by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission there were only 2568 manatees remaining in Florida.If you see a dead or injured manatee or one that's been harassed while in Florida, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's toll-free hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC.Lastly, as a visitor to our tropical paradise, do not approach, touch, feed or water manatees. It is against the law and carries a fine as well as a possible jail term. Use your camera to make memories, not a police experience.Dolphins - Our favorite Marine Mammal. Dolphins are not endangered at this time, but the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 requires you to stay away from them. Do not encourage them into the path of danger by boats or other human interaction. Wild dolphins have been found injured by firecrackers placed down their blow hold, beer poured over them and into their blow hold and other horror stories. These beautiful creatures think man is their friend but the next person they meet may be their enemy instead.There are licensed facilities where you can interact safely with dolphins that have been raised in captivity or rescued.Sea Turtles-Has the 2004 hurricane season hurt their recovery? South Florida is home to Loggerheads, Leatherbacks and Green sea turtles. Hawksbill and Kemp's ridley have occasionally been found. These are the five species found in US waters in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The population of loggerheads nesting along the Atlantic coast of Florida is the second largest in the world. The nesting season runs from around May to September and within approximately 60 days of nesting, the hatchlings too are in danger.It is too soon to have counts, but the yearly numbers will reveal the losses. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be reporting the 2004 figures early next year.There are other dangers to our sea turtles. The turtle hospital in Marathon, Florida treats a variety of turtle ailments, such as flipper amputations caused by fishing line and trap rope entanglements, shell damage caused by boat collisions, and intestinal impactions caused by ingestion of foreign material such as plastic bags, balloons and fishing lines. Turtles love jellyfish and shrimp and ingest filters from cigarettes and plastic in error. Turtles that died from starvation were found with a stomach full of cigarette filters.The most recent nesting totals for Florida's turtles from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for the year 2003 is:Loggerheads: 63,446Green Turtles: 2262Leatherbacks: 842WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP THE SEA TURTLES?1. Never throw litter on the beach or in the water.2. If pets are allowed on the beach, keep them leashed at all times.3. Obey all beach rules and stay away from turtle nesting sites.4. Help spread the word about sea turtles. The more people know, the more they will want to help them.5. Watch for turtles while boating.6. During nesting seasons, turn lights facing the beach off or have proper filters.7. Participate in local beach and reef cleanups.8. Do not buy sea turtle products-jewelry, oil, leather, meat or eggs.Kathy Runk has been a volunteer exhibit guide at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, volunteer for the Save the Manatee Club in Florida, attended Dolphinlab in Marathon, Florida and adopted Elsie the manatee, dolphins Merina and her baby Calusa. Kathy is the owner of http://www.myoceantreasures.com that sells ocean themed jewelry and gifts.
Update Alaska: News From The Front
Update Alaska: News From The Front
Stopped into The Fishin' Hole the other day, which happens to be one of my favorite fishing tackle/outfitter/sandwich shops. (Talk about your one stop shopping!!)I was looking for a good 8 weight line to take to Alaska.What I came away with was an update from about four different people who had just returned from Alaska.Now, for those of you that have been following my upcoming maiden trip to The Last Frontier -you know that I am headed up there in a week from now. So it was nice to hear some first hand reports on what is going on, and how the fishing is doing.Of course I am a little concerned that right there in the tiny town of Shady Cove, Oregon--there were four people who have recently been to Alaska right there at that given moment in that fishing tackle/outfitter/sandwich shop! If you take the ratio of those four people at that given time and the odds that they had been to Alaska and multply that out over the entire nation.... well..... you come up with a pretty dang high number!And to think I was worried about the mosquitoes.Anyway, one fella happened to have a photo album and all I had to say was that I was headed up to Alaska--and of course he pulled out that album and showed me some rather dandy Halibut that weighed in at 178 pounds. He also said if he didn't have one of those belts that you strap on to fight Marlin, he would probably be recovering from hernia surgery. I of course said the fish was nice-- but I was more concerned with the mosquitoes.He told me they didn't bother him.Hmmmm now that sounds fishy to me.Another person reported that the Kenai--the LOWLY Kenai--- fished well and they caught some really nice King Salmon. They weren't bragging about size so they were either really big or really small.Not sure.They also went Halibut fishing and caught some 20 pounders, certainly not big by Alaskan standards. They also reported that every person on the boat puked their guts out.Now there is something to look forward to. I hope I am fishing out of a Princess Cruiseliner--but I doubt it.I also asked them how the mosquitoes were?To quote them: " OH MY GOD- THEY WERE BIG AS BIRDS!!"Nice. Puking, scratching, and hernia surgery!!We discussed the various options of Deet and netting, but it sounded like that only made it more challenging for the skeeters to find a way to make your life miserable.They described the mosquitoes approaching, 'like a black cloud' and then enveloping them in a blood sucking frenzy.Sounds like a Stephen King novel.One gal produced a bottle of some " natural" deet free repellant, and offered up a very weak, "our friends used this up at Diamond Lake last week and said this stuff is 'the bomb'."Unless she meant "bug bomb"--I wasn't about to start experimenting with anything unproven. Besides, the difference between Diamond Lake mosquitoes and the Kenai Peninsula mosquitoes is probably like the difference between Peoria and Yankee Stadium. I told her I'd try it but I would need her cell number so I could be sure to call her at midnight if her"natural" spray was ineffective.She pulled that bottle off the counter faster than a Ford truck recall goes out.So it sounded like fishing was going about as expected, and the mosquitoes were going as expected also.I also received a call from another buddy who wanted to go fishing on the Klamath River, in California, the week after I get back. He is an Alaskan fishing veteran so he had all sorts of good information to offer up about catching Silvers, including a "special" fly pattern that he developed and ties himself. I am now going to be his official "field tester" --because I suspect he thinks- if I can catch a fish with it...then it has real marketing potential. So look for it's appearance on the "two guys with flys" website if it works. If not... well... you can always look for my swollen festering mosquito welts.I have also checked in with my good friend Tom, who if you remember, floated the Kisaralik River last month. He is back and reported a successful trip, in the respect that no one was eaten by a Bear, and they returned with same number of people they left with.Oh, and the fishing was great for BIG TROUT, and of course--Deet had little or no effect at stopping the onslaught of mosquitoes.As evidenced by his scabbed over arm full of bites and "Calamine lotioned" skin color.Also received a phone call from Ranger Kurt--and he pretty much just laughed maniacally and kept saying things like: "August in Alaska" "August in Alaska" "HA HA HA ha......."Perhaps a few to many bites from his last trip??Well, that is about it from the front.I'll be busy this week getting ready-and soaking my clothes in Deet...A.J. Klott is a writer of fishing humor and the people and events surrounding the fishing world. He also can be found selling "fly tacks" and other various fishing supplies at: http://www.twoguyswithflys.com