The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing changes to vessel speed rules with the goal of reducing the likelihood of mortalities and serious injuries to North America Right Whales from vessel collisions. According to data from NMFS, these vessel collisions are a leading cause of the species’ decline.

The proposal increases the number of vessels affected by speed limit rules in specific migration areas. The current speed limit rules apply only to vessels that are 65 feet/19.8 meters or longer. Vessels of this size are currently restricted to 10-knots or less when in areas known as right whale Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs) – areas that are along the migration route of these animals. The migration route includes areas on the Atlantic coast from Northern Florida to Maine. The data on strikes by the larger vessels is extensive, and the biggest variable seems to be speed – the whales cannot get out of the way in time to avoid a strike.

The proposed rule would:

1. Modify the spatial and temporal boundaries of current SMAs which have the 10-knot speed restriction.
2. Include most vessels greater than or equal in length to 35 ft/10.7 m and less than 65 ft/19.8 m, as well as continuing the restriction on vessels 65 feet and larger.
3. Create a “Dynamic Speed Zone” framework. This means that restricted speed would be implemented near the right whales when they move outside of the designated SMAs.
4. Update the speed rule’s safety deviation provision, which currently permits a deviation from the 10-knot speed restriction in the event of a safety hazard.

Changes to the speed regulations are being proposed to reduce vessel strike risk based on a coastwide collision mortality data and updated information on right whale distribution, vessel traffic patterns, vessel strike mortality, and serious injury events. NMFS has substantial data on lethal strikes on these whales by larger vessels (65 feet/19.8 meters or larger) but has limited data on injuries or deaths caused by smaller vessels.

DEMA also strongly suggests that businesses impacted by the rule submit comments electronically to the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding these proposed rules and how they will impact your business. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS IS OCTOBER 31, 2022.

The Docket number for comments is NOAA-NMFS-2022-0022. Electronic comments can be submitted at the Regulations.gov website, https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2022-0022.

DEMA has submitted comments in opposition to the proposed rule, but much is left to be done. Industry support is needed to prevent this unnecessary and destructive rule from being enacted. DEMA needs you to submit comments in writing or in person to NOAA to oppose this proposed regulation. Unless the diving community speaks up on this issue, this regulation will be put in place in federal waters in the Florida Keys and will soon find its way to ALL federal waters, effectively ending all shark diving in the United States.

In the most recent version of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Restoration Blueprint NOAA has proposed restricting shark feeding EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF FEEDING SHARKS AND OTHER FISH TO HARVEST (KILL) THEM. This proposed rule is specifically aimed at preventing divers from feeding sharks to observe and photograph them. In other words, according to this proposed rule, feeding sharks and other fish in order to trick them into being caught on a hook and line AND KILLED is acceptable, while using natural food to allow divers to observe or photograph sharks in the water is not allowed.

This proposed regulation from NOAA (see page 36) is clearly an attempt to extend regulations over shark dive operators, preventing them from conducting their business in federal waters. Florida already prohibits shark (fish) feeding in state waters, having enacted this regulation in the early 2000’s without the scientific basis for doing so. NOAA claims that shark feeding creates “human safety issues,” but science from the world’s most renowned shark experts disagree with this assertion, and DEMA believes this assertion is being promulgated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission without supporting data. When DEMA requested that data from FWC several years ago none was provided.

DEMA adamantly opposes this proposed rule and suggests that everyone in the diving community submit comments in opposition to this proposed regulation. Data and recommendations indicate that a far better approach is for shark dive operators to utilize guidelines for marine life interactions to prevent harm to people and sharks. The actual marine interactive guidelines themselves have long been available from the Global Interactive Marine Experiences Council (GIMEC) and Project AWARE and the World Wildlife Fund. U.S. Federal regulation of this activity is both intrusive and unnecessary.

DEMA has also cited peer-reviewed data that corroborate the economic value of “provisional ecotourism,” feeding natural foods to sharks, giving the opportunity for thousands of divers traveling to the Florida Keys each year to actively and safely engage in observing sharks and gaining a better understanding of these creatures. Research by independent and credible scientists indicates that provisioning ecotourism does NOT create an increased risk for non-divers and swimmers not directly engaged in provisioning ecotourism activities. By prohibiting shark feeding in federal waters for essentially all purposes except harvesting (killing) them, these proposed federal prohibitions will have a detrimental impact on sharks and dive consumers and will adversely impact businesses that serve the recreational diving industry, including dive operators, vessels used to transport customers to diving locations, hotels, restaurants, and transportation services.

DEMA has met with researchers and dive operators to begin the process of building support and is preparing comments in opposition to the proposed rule, but much is left to be done. Industry support is needed to prevent this unnecessary and destructive rule from being enacted. DEMA needs you to submit comments in writing or in person to NOAA to oppose this proposed regulation. Unless the diving community speaks up on this issue, this regulation will be put in place in federal waters in the Florida Keys and will soon find its way to ALL federal waters, effectively ending all shark diving in the United States.

Upcoming Public Comment Opportunities

• Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. in Marathon, Florida at the Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting
  

Electronic Comments
Submit all electronic public comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov, by October 26th. The docket number is NOAA-NOS-2019-0094-1012. Click the "Comment Now!" icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.

Mail Comments
Restoration Blueprint Public Comment
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
33 East Quay Road
Key West, FL 33040

Additional information, including how to register for these meetings is available on the Restoration Blueprint website: www.floridakeys.noaa.gov/blueprint. 

The US $9.8 billion “Maya Train” railway project is projected to transport 40,000 passengers a day to the Yucatan Peninsula. After several false starts and location changes, the Mexican government’s plan now is to build the railway about 4km (2.5 miles) from Highway 307, which could destroy habitat where endangered and protected species are found. As planned, the train will cross over sections of the largest underwater cave system in the world, Sac Actun. In addition, the limestone caves in that region, filled with the area’s only source of fresh water, may be damaged or destroyed if the railway is built along this route. There are considerable risks for building this railway in the planned location, including the risks of building a passenger-carrying railway in a geologically unstable area and destroying the cave diving currently available in the area.

DEMA is in opposition to building this railway in this location and suggests that members of the diving industry also voice their opposition by signing the petition found here. At this writing, more than 63,000 have signed this petition in opposition to building the railway in this location.

Several diving publications have detailed the issues involved with the planned railway. Readers can find out more by reading the articles found here:

• DIVER | The Imminent Destruction of Mexico’s Best Dive Sites – One Track at a Time

• X-Ray Mag | Dive community up in arms over Tren Maya railway project

• Dive Magazine | Divers fear Yucatán train could destroy cenotes

Please sign the petition opposing the railway today!  For more information on DEMA’s Public Policy efforts, please see www.dema.org.

What YOU Can Do NOW:

1. SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioners (FWC) asking them to maintain the harvest moratorium and prevent the proposed, so-called “limited harvest.” You can review DEMA’s letter, sent to FWC in January, for more information. 
   
   DEMA has also drafted comments for your use, which can be copied and pasted into an email, or personalized from you. Comments can be sent directly to the Commission via email at two addresses (please send to both): Marine@MyFWC.com and Commissioners@MyFWC.com.
   
   
2. PLAN TO ATTEND the FWC meeting on March 2 and 3. Locations and the agenda will be available online. DEMA will have a representative at the meeting, but we must have substantial dive industry representation at this meeting, or the Commission will simply infer that the diving community doesn’t care.

SUBMITTING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS IS CRITICAL to preventing a change of status to the current harvest moratorium. Such a change would allow harvesting the Goliath Grouper for the first time since the 1990s. If you dive in Florida or live there, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals. 

DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending the March meeting to offer public comment in opposition to opening the harvest of the Goliath Grouper. In addition, contact your customers and ask them to submit comments opposing the proposed harvest. Getting the attention of the Commissioners is only possible when there are greater numbers of voices in opposition to this ill-considered action. 

When you comment, please copy DEMA’s Public Policy email address: publicpolicy@dema.org. 

For more information on DEMA, visit www.dema.org.

1. SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioners (FWC) asking them to maintain the harvest moratorium and prevent the proposed, so-called “limited harvest” (scroll to the bottom of the page for the comments section). You can review DEMA’s letter, sent to FWC, for more information.
   
   DEMA has also drafted comments for your use, which can be copied and pasted into an email, or personalized from you. Comments can also be sent directly to the Commission via email at two addresses (please send to both): Marine@MyFWC.com and Commissioners@MyFWC.com.
   
   
2. PLAN TO ATTEND the FWC online workshops on January 11 or January 13. HAVING MORE DIVERS ATTEND THIS MEETING WILL GET THE ATTENTION OF THE FWC AND THE MEDIA. DEMA will have a representative there, but we must have substantial dive industry representation at this meeting, or the Commission will simply infer that the diving community doesn’t care. 

SUBMITTING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS IS CRITICAL to preventing a change of status to the current harvest moratorium. Such a change would allow harvesting the Goliath Grouper for the first time since the 1990s. If you dive in Florida or live there, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals.
 
DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending these meetings to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on the harvest of the Goliath Grouper. In addition, contact your customers and ask them to submit comments in favor of maintaining the moratorium. Only greater numbers of voices will help get the attention of the Commission.
 
When you comment to FWC's emails, please copy DEMA’s Public Policy email address: publicpolicy@dema.org.
 
For more information on DEMA, visit www.dema.org.

• PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY on diving with and seeing Goliath Grouper by September 24th. As with DEMA’s previous survey on this topic, YOUR voice is critical to get the attention of the Commissioners and prevent this harvest from occurring.
  
  
• SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS DIRECTLY to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioners (FWC) asking them to maintain the harvest moratorium and prevent the proposed, so-called “limited harvest.” You can review DEMA’s letter to FWC for more information. DEMA has also drafted comments for your use, which can be copied and pasted into an email, or personalized from you. Comments can be sent directly to the Commission via email at: commissioners@MyFWC.com
  
  
• PLAN TO ATTEND the FWC meeting in October. HAVING MORE DIVERS ATTEND THIS MEETING WILL GET THE ATTENTION OF THE FWC AND THE MEDIA. DEMA will have a representative there, but we must have substantial dive industry representation at this meeting, or the Commission will simply infer that the diving community doesn’t care.

SUBMITTING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS IS CRITICAL to preventing a change of status to the current harvest moratorium. Such a change would allow harvesting the Goliath Grouper for the first time since the 1990’s. If you dive in Florida or live there, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals.

DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending these meetings to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on harvest of the Goliath Grouper. In addition, contact your customers and ask them to submit comments in favor of maintaining the moratorium. Only greater numbers of voices will help get the attention of the Commission.

For more information on DEMA, call 858-616-6408, publicpolicy@dema.org, or visit www.dema.org.

A virtual meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will take place on May 12 and May 13, 2021 starting at 9:00 AM Eastern time on May 12.

The FWC Commission meeting will include a staff and Commissioner review and update on the Goliath Grouper. The stated purpose of this review and update is to allow a (“limited, highly regulated”) harvest of the Goliath Grouper.

The FWC meeting agenda and planned topics can be found on the FWC website.

DEMA favors continuing the current moratorium on harvesting the Goliath Grouper. These animals are more valuable alive to the South Florida ecosystem. The interest and draw the Goliath Grouper generates for the South Florida diving community plays an integral part in generating revenue for many small Florida-based diving businesses, tax revenue for the State of Florida, and many jobs. Studies have shown that this fish is far more valuable economically to the South Florida diving community than when harvested by the fishing community.

Public comments from the diving community—both from professionals and your customers—are critical to oppose opening this fishery to any harvest. YOUR public comments and input are needed at this meeting; public comments opposed to lifting the moratorium could help maintain the current status thereby preventing the harvesting of this animal, which is slow to mature and reproduce. There are substantial arguments against harvest, some of which can be found here.

Without your public comments, the status of the current moratorium could change, allowing harvesting of the Goliath Grouper for the first time since 1990. If you dive in Florida or live there, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals.

The FWC meeting is currently scheduled to take place online May 12 and May 13 beginning at 9:00 AM Eastern time. At this writing, the review of the Goliath Grouper status is scheduled for May 12, but please note that the time and date of this discussion could change.

DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending these meetings online to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on harvest of the Goliath Grouper. More diving community voices will be helpful.

Whether you attend or not, please submit written comments prior to the beginning of the Committee meeting!

For more information, contact PublicPolicy@dema.org.

READ THE DIVE COMMUNITY’S LETTER 

Annually, recreational diving in Florida generates more than $1 billion in revenue, more than a quarter of a billion dollars in wages, and almost 12,000 jobs. More than 1.6 million divers and snorkelers per year visit the Florida Keys. Because of this, the dive community acts as a steward of the underwater environment, which is under increasing threat from water quality and pollution issues due to urban runoff, marine debris, and other dangers.  

NOAA is soliciting comments until January 31 on the Restoration Blueprint, its plan to restore and protect the sanctuary. In its letter, the dive community urged NOAA and FWC to address degraded water quality; enhance enforcement on the water; strengthen the mooring buoy network; strengthened protections in Sanctuary Preservation Areas; promote stewardship education programs, including the Blue Star dive and fishing programs; and other protection measures. 

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine resources stretching from Miami to the Tortugas, including North America’s only coral barrier reef, extensive seagrass beds, mangrove-fringed islands, and more than 6,000 species of marine life. The sanctuary also protects an estimated 800 underwater historic sites. As one of North America’s most popular diving and fishing destinations, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary supports the region’s success in global tourism, with more than half the jobs in Monroe County tied to ocean activities. 

Diving and the dive industry depend upon sustainable interaction with the marine environment for its very existence. We serve as strong stewards for the marine environment and we need to protect the marine environment and marine life.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!

DEMA and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation have teamed together to write a letter of support for many of the important elements of the Restoration Blueprint.  Please take the following actions to help amplify support for the Florida Keys.

1. Include your signature on this Take Action Letter for dive organizations and businesses.

You can include your signature by sending us your first and last name, affiliation and organization/business name to publicpolicy@dema.org by close of business January 27, 2020. DEMA will submit the signed letter on behalf of those who have asked to be included to Regulations.gov.

2. Share DEMA’s Take Action Letter with Your Membership, Colleagues, and Community and ask them to sign too: Feel free to forward this notice or use it as a template to reach out to your colleagues and community.

3. Use this Letter to Start Your Own Letter and Share with Your Staff:
If individuals want to sign a letter of their own, they can use this letter as a starting point and send it directly to Regulations.gov (Docket Number NOAA-NOS-2019-0094).  Please consider sharing this with your staff and ask them to engage in the public process.

Please submit your first and last name, affiliation and organization/business to publicpolicy@dema.org by close of business on January 27, 2020.

Florida has introduced SB 708 – Prohibiting the sale of Certain Sunscreen Products. 

SB 708 makes it unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in Florida an SPF sunscreen protection personal care product that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both, to a consumer who does not have a prescription from a licensed medical professional for such product.

Research has found that oxybenzone and octinoxate environmental contamination persists in Florida’s coastal waters because the contamination is constantly refreshed and renewed every day by swimmers and beach goers, and by sewage contamination of coastal waters (another source of oxybenzone and octinoxate environmental contamination). 

Oxybenzone and octinoxate are known to cause mortality in developing coral; increase coral bleaching that indicates extreme stress, even at temperatures below 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit; cause genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms; degrade corals’ resiliency and inhibit recruitment of new corals. Oxybenzone and octinoxate appear to increase the probability of endocrine disruption, and scientific studies show that both chemicals can induce feminization in adult male fish and increase reproductive diseases in marine invertebrate species, such as sea urchins; and vertebrate species, such as wrasses, eels, and parrotfish and mammals. Oxybenzone and octinoxate also appear to induce deformities in the embryonic development of fish, sea urchins, coral, and shrimp and induce neurological behavioral changes in fish that threaten the continuity of fish populations. There is also evidence that these chemicals may threaten certain species of sea turtles, marine mammals and migratory birds. 

There are viable and safer substitutes on the market. It should be noted that Hawaii already prohibits the sale of sunscreen products with the unacceptable chemicals listed. Although there is also a need to remove these chemicals from sewage contamination (not addressed in this bill), removal of these chemicals from sunscreens should assist in diminishing the contamination.

What can you do?

1. You can write to your Florida Senator and tell them to support SB 708. A link is provided here and below for your convenience. Simply input your information and so you can write directly to your senator or representative. DEMA has also provided sample verbiage you can use at these links, or you can write your own note to your lawmakers.
   
   
2. You can attend Dive In Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee on March 19 and speak directly to your lawmakers in person regarding this bill. DEMA has organized Dive In Day at the Capitol to help the diving industry in Florida make a greater impact with lawmakers, and to help legislators understand the importance of the diving industry in Florida. Contact Emily Bolde at ebolde@lawfla.com for more information. 

DEMA strongly urges members of the diving community to participate in this legislative process to get this bill passed.

If you cannot attend Dive in Day, please consider submitting comments directly to your Senator and Representative.   

Should you receive a response from your legislator, please let DEMA know by forwarding them to publicpolicy@dema.org. 

As divers we understand that sharks are necessary to maintaining the health of the reefs and oceans. Divers are excited to encounter living sharks, and many seek opportunities to dive and observe these important creatures. We look forward to interactions with sharks, knowing that many species are at risk.

HB 99 and its companion senate bill SB 352 have been introduced in Florida to prohibit the purchase or offer to purchase, sale or offer to sell, and possession for the purpose of transporting, shipping, or otherwise distributing for sale, barter, or exchange, a shark fin or ray part regardless of where the shark or ray was landed or taken.

Exceptions to the prohibitions are made for shark fins and ray parts lawfully obtained on land, prepared by taxidermy and possessed for purpose of display, as well as those in possession because they are authorized by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) rule, or lawfully landed and retained for personal non-commercial use. An exception is also made for possession for scientific research or educational purpose. Substantial penalties exist for violation of the law if enacted by this bill.

These bills seek to protect sharks and rays by prohibiting commerce connected to shark fins and ray parts. The bills do not unnecessarily interfere with recreational fishing but are being opposed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) as the FWC seeks to protect commercial fishing interests in the state, including the commercial sale of shark fins.

DEMA staff recommends supporting these bills as they make it abundantly clear that shark finning and killing of sharks for this purpose should not be acceptable.

It should be noted that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission does NOT support HB 99 or SB 352. FWC has indicated that these bills conflict with the Commission’s existing regulation and management of shark and ray species and marine fisheries. By opposing these bills, FWC is backing the commercial and recreational fishing interests, rather than protecting the Florida shark population.

What can you do?

1. You can write to your Florida Senator and Representative and tell them to support these bills. A link is provided here and below for your convenience. Simply provide your information so you can write directly to your senator or representative. DEMA has also provided sample verbiage you can use at these links, or you can write your own note to your lawmakers.
   
   
2. You can attend Dive In Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee on March 19, 2019 and speak directly to your lawmakers in person. DEMA has organized Dive In Day at the Capitol to help the diving industry in Florida make a greater impact with lawmakers, and to help legislators understand the importance of the diving industry in Florida. Contact Emily Bolde at ebolde@lawfla.com for more information.

DEMA strongly urges members of the diving community to participate in this legislative process to get these bills passed.

If you cannot attend Dive in Day, please consider submitting comments directly to your Senator and Representative.   

Should you receive a response from your legislator, please let DEMA know by forwarding them to publicpolicy@dema.org. 

1. Rules protecting sharks and divers during shore-based shark fishing
2.  Rules applied to collecting aquarium specimens from the waters under the Blue Heron Bridge
3.  Rules/research for Florida’s Goliath Grouper

Shore-Based Shark Fishing

DEMA’s input to the proposed rules for shore-based shark fishing included the need to:

• Prevent a hooked shark from being landed (removed from the water) on a beach for the purpose of taking their picture or measuring the fish (which generally harms the animal).
• Require the use of specific fishing equipment to make it easier to release prohibited and at-risk sharks.
• Prevent chumming for sharks from shore, in the interest of the safety of swimmers, surfers and divers.
•  Require all fishers, regardless of age, complete an education program prior to receiving a (free) permit which is required to target sharks from shore.
•  Require that the distance from shore-based shark fishers to designated public bathing areas be 100 yards, the same distance from designated public beaches as required by current law for spear fishers.

While FWC is unlikely to adopt this last proposed distance rule because of the resistance from fishing interests, it appears the remaining rules are likely to be adopted at the February 2019 FWC meeting, making this a win for sharks and for divers wishing to see these animals.

Prohibition on Collecting Marine Life at Blue Heron Bridge

DEMA offered testimony in favor of a prohibition being placed on the removal of “ornamental” or aquarium-sized marine life and plants in the area under the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida.

This well-known shore dive site is unique, and it appears that, even with FWC’s limited data on the 500+ different species found in this area, excessive collecting and removal of marine life and marine plants is having a detrimental impact on this location. DEMA asked that the FWC create essentially a no-take zone at the Bridge which would remain open to divers for photography and observation. Since the area is already closed to spear fishing, DEMA suggested closing the area to hook and line fishing as well.  Although the request for closure to hook and line fishing is unlikely to be adopted, again owing to pressure on the FWC from the fishing community, the proposed rules that prevent removal of aquarium animals and plants mean that divers will be able to see the many different species at this dive site for years to come.

Maintaining the Moratorium on Harvesting the Goliath Grouper in Florida

Ingram and Harris reiterated DEMA’s long-held position that Goliaths should remain protected and that the current moratorium on harvest, in place since 1990, should remain.

DEMA’s testimony included the fact that in 2016 the FWC attempted but failed to complete a scientifically acceptable stock assessment of Goliath Grouper, and as a result, no valid stock assessment exists.  DEMA also testified that research shows Goliath Grouper flesh contains extremely high levels of mercury, rendering the flesh unsafe to consume and making even a limited harvest of Goliaths impractical and dangerous.  DEMA also suggested that protections commensurate with another slow-moving and valuable animal, the manatee, should also be afforded the Goliath Grouper. 

While DEMA’s testimony was that FWC does not have sufficient data to justify lifting the current moratorium,  the diving community should be aware that FWC staff are working to devise a scientifically-acceptable means to model the Goliath fishery so that it becomes possible to determine if the fishery should remain closed or open to some form of harvest in the future.

As a result of this meeting, FWC has indicated that until an acceptable stock survey is performed, the harvest moratorium will continue. FWC staff have indicated it will take until at least 2022 to make the determination. This is a great victory for Goliath Grouper and divers everywhere!

All of the proposed rules discussed during the FWC meeting in St. Augustine, Florida are still subject to additional changes before they are finalized.  Finalized rules will be available for public comment prior to the FWC meeting scheduled for February 2019. DEMA will also attend this meeting at that time to provide comment on the final version of the rules.

A meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and open to the public, will take place on December 12 and 13 at 8:30 am in St. Augustine, Florida.

The FWC Commission meeting will include a Staff review and discussion on the next steps for Goliath Grouper research and management. This presentation will include an overview of current and future Goliath Grouper research. Staff will present information on how recent events, such as Hurricane Irma and the 2018 red tide, have impacted Goliath Grouper. Staff will seek direction on adopting a management goal for Goliath Grouper in state waters.

You may recall that DEMA favors continuing the current moratorium on harvesting the Goliath Grouper. In the recent past, DEMA surveyed members of the Diving Industry and determined that 73% of divers responding favored continuing the moratorium.

DEMA’s President and CEO, Tom Ingram and Legislative Advocate, Bob Harris will be in attendance at this meeting to provide DEMA’s position to the Committee. YOUR public comments and input are also needed at this meeting; public comments opposed to lifting the moratorium could help prevent the future harvesting of this animal, which is slow to mature and reproduce.  There are substantial arguments against harvest, some of which can be found here.  Without your public comments, the status of the current moratorium could change in the near future allowing harvesting of the Goliath Grouper for the first time since 1990.  If you dive in Florida or live there, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals.

This meeting will also include several Draft Rules important to the Florida Diving Industry; Draft Rules on Shore-based Shark Fishing, which has been shown to result in the killing of at-risk shark species such as the Great Hammerhead and Tiger, and Draft Rules on Marine Life Harvest at Blue Heron Bridge in Palm Beach County. 

The FWC meeting agenda and topics planned can be found on the FWC website here.

The meetings are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on December 12 and 13, 2018.  However, as of this writing, the discussion of Goliath Grouper is scheduled for the afternoon of December 12.  Please note that the time and date of this discussion could change.

DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending these meetings to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on harvest of the Goliath Grouper.  Public comments will be accepted at the end of each meeting day.  More diving community voices will be helpful. 

For those unable to attend or wishing to submit comments prior the beginning of the Committee meeting, send your written comments to Commissioners@MyFWC.com.

As divers we understand that sharks are necessary to maintaining the health of the reefs and oceans.  Divers are excited to encounter living sharks, and many seek opportunities to dive and observe these important creatures. We look forward to interactions with sharks, knowing that many species are at risk.

In July and August the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) will conduct a series of workshops to address a growing concern in Florida; the illegal landing of prohibited species of sharks while fishing from shore. 

DEMA strongly urges members of the diving community to participate in one or more of these workshops to voice your concerns over the actions taken by a small group of fishers in the state of Florida, who recklessly endanger protected species of sharks by deliberately targeting, and illegally landing them.

While we know that fishing for some species of sharks is not prohibited in Florida, landing and possessing many of the species that are caught by these various “shore-based shark fishing” groups, is not legal, according to 68B-44.008 Prohibited Species; Prohibition of Harvest, Landing, and Sale of the Florida Salt Water Fishing Regulations.

In April DEMA asked the FWC to consider the need for strong enforcement of established and useful regulations that prohibit the landing of sharks by groups and individuals engaged in shore-based shark fishing activities.  As many of these fishers are using public beaches for their activities, DEMA also strongly suggested the need to include regulations that ban shore-based shark fishing in the vicinity of designated public bathing beaches.  Such a ban already exists for any spear fishing activities within 100 yards of public bathing beaches, and the scope of this ban should include hook and line fishing as well. This request from DEMA and from others prompted FWC to schedule these workshops.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) is the agency charged with regulating the fishing community.  DEMA encourages all members of the diving community, regardless of geographic location, to attend one of these workshops to provide input and to demand that this activity be stopped.

If you cannot attend these workshops, please consider submitting comments directly to the FWC on this comments page.

For your comments we have provided some suggested text below.  Please contact DEMA at 858-616-6408 or publicpolicy@dema.org with any questions regarding this issue. 

Suggested text:
We in the diving community respectfully ask the FWC to consider the need for strong enforcement of established and useful regulations that prohibit the landing of sharks by groups and individuals engaged in shore-based shark fishing activities. 

We further demand that everything within the limits of the law be done to enforce the fishing regulations already designed to protect sharks including punishing these specific individuals by suspending or revoking their Florida fishing privileges. 

As many of these fishers are using public beaches for their activities, we strongly suggest the need to include regulations that ban land-based shark fishing in the vicinity of designated public bathing beaches.  Such a ban already exists for any spear fishing activities within 100 yards of public bathing beaches, and the scope of this ban should include hook and line fishing as well.

SUMMARY: 
The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act was recently introduced in the US House of Representatives. HR 5248, a bi-partisan bill introduced in Congress in mid-March, establishes a certification process to ensure that foreign nations engaging in the shark trade into or through the United States, conserve and manage populations of sharks in a manner that is comparable to regulatory programs in the US and that effectively prohibits the practice of removing shark fins and discarding the carcass at sea.

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA is supporting this bill and asks all members of the diving industry to join us in contacting your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation.  You can easily do so by joining our campaign to support HR 5248.  When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative.

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act was recently introduced in the US House of Representatives. HR 5248 is a bi-partisan bill introduced in Congress in mid-March. It establishes a certification process to ensure that foreign nations engaging in the shark trade into or through the United States conserve and manage populations of sharks in a manner that is comparable to regulatory programs in the US and effectively prohibits the practice of removing shark fins and discarding the carcass at sea.

The market for shark fins, oil and meat, and other products drives a large international trade.  The demand for fins, the key ingredient in shark fin soup, is one of the greatest threats facing shark populations around the world. According to some studies, humans kill as many as 11,000 sharks per hour.  Fins from as many as 73 million sharks end up in the global market every year and more than 70 percent of the most common shark species involved with the fin trade are considered at high or very high risk of extinction. While shark finning is illegal in US waters, shark fins continue to be bought and sold throughout the US.  This bill will limit the supply of these products in the US to those that are certified and meet the stringent criteria contained in the bill.

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, establishes criteria for determining whether a nation has, and effectively enforces, regulatory programs for the conservation and management of sharks and creates measures to prohibit shark finning that are comparable to those of the United States, including, at a minimum, a requirement that such programs be consistent with the national standards for fishery conservation and management set forth in section 301(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1851).  The bill also has provisions for the protection of skates and rays.

We strongly urge you to contact your elected representatives in Congress and share how this bill could protect the shark population as well as how your business and the recreational diving industry are made stronger by divers’ ability to see these creatures in the wild.  Your message to your Representative and Senator should be personalized and we encourage you to add details about the work of your organization and how this bill would impact your company and the citizens you serve. 

DEMA is supporting this bill and asks all members of the diving industry to join us in contacting your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation.  You can easily do so by joining our campaign to support HR 5248.  When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative.

If you are able to contact your Representative or Senator, and receive any kind of feedback, please let us know right away.  DEMA will continue to work toward supporting this bill and share updates on this issue as they become available. If you have questions about this issue, please email DEMA at publicpolicy@dema.org or contact us at 858-616-6408. 

PLEASE ACT TODAY TO SEND LAWMAKERS A MESSAGE TO PASS H. R. 5248, THE SUSTAINABLE SHARK FISHERIES AND TRADE ACT.

DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is an international organization dedicated to the sustained growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkeling industry.  For more information on DEMA, call 858-616-6408 or visit www.dema.org.  

SUMMARY: 
A meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will take place on April 25 and 26 at the Marriott, Fort Lauderdale North, 6650 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309; phone 954-771-0440. On Thursday morning, April 26th, starting at 8:30 AM, the FWC Staff and Commissioner will review and discuss the Goliath Grouper, including biology, stock status, and stakeholder feedback. The Staff is seeking Commission direction on next steps for Goliath Grouper management in state waters, which may include limited harvest.

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending this Commission meeting to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on harvest of the Goliath Grouper. DEMA will host a free meeting of DEMA Members and Dive Operators on the evening of April 25 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the Marriott, Fort Lauderdale North’s private dining room, to discuss strategy for the FWC meeting the next day. Space is limited, and we ask you to RSVP for this meeting by registering here or emailing us at publicpolicy@dema.org. For those unable to attend or wishing to submit written comments prior the beginning of the FWC Committee meeting, send your comments to Commissioners@MyFWC.com.

A meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will take place on April 25 and 26 at the Marriott, Fort Lauderdale North, 6650 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309; phone 954-771-0440.     

On Thursday morning, April 26^th, starting at 8:30 AM, the FWC Staff and Commissioner will review and discuss the  Goliath Grouper, including biology, stock status, and stakeholder feedback.  The Staff is seeking Commission direction on next steps for Goliath Grouper management in state waters, which may include limited harvest.  Please note that the time and date of this discussion could change.  The FWC meeting agenda, and topics planned can be found on the FWC website here.

You may recall that DEMA favors continuing the current moratorium on harvesting the Goliath Grouper. DEMA has also surveyed members of the Diving Industry and determined that 73% of the divers responding favored continuing the moratorium.

DEMA’s Legislative Advocate Bob Harris, and President Tom Ingram will be in attendance at this meeting to provide DEMA’s position to the Commission. YOUR public comments and input are also needed at this meeting; public comments opposed to lifting the moratorium could help maintain the current status, thereby preventing harvesting of this animal, which is slow to mature and reproduce.  There are substantial arguments against harvest, some of which can be found here.  Without your public comments, the status of the current moratorium could change, allowing harvesting of the Goliath Grouper for the first time since the 1990’s.  If you dive or live in Florida, or enjoy seeing these beautiful creatures unharmed, such a change in the moratorium status could impact your ability (and your customers’ ability) to see these animals.

DEMA will host a free meeting of DEMA Members and Dive Operators on the evening of April 25 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.  in the Marriott, Fort Lauderdale North’s private dining room, to discuss strategy for the FWC meeting the next day.  Space is limited, and we ask you to RSVP for this meeting by registering here or emailing us at publicpolicy@dema.org. 

DEMA urges all professional members of the diving community to join DEMA in attending this Commission meeting to offer public comment in favor of maintaining the current moratorium on harvest of the Goliath Grouper.  Public comments will be accepted.  More diving community voices will be helpful. 

For those unable to attend or wishing to submit written comments prior the beginning of the Committee meeting, send your comments to Commissioners@MyFWC.com. 

	This photo shows the shark's remains following this cruel act.

For your comments we have provided some suggested text below. Please contact DEMA at 858-616-6408 or publicpolicy@dema.org with any questions regarding this issue.
 
Suggested text:

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The FWC has indicated it will entertain the possibility of a limited harvest in Florida state waters 

Given the continued scientific uncertainty regarding the recovery of goliath grouper populations, DEMA favors the continuation of the current moratorium on harvest of this species, as we have since 2011.  However, we do believe it is important to capture the opinions of all diving stakeholders on this issue.

We are asking you to please complete a brief opinion survey regarding the continuation of the moratorium, by 4:00pm Eastern Time, Thursday, July 13, 2017. 

TAKE THE SURVEY

This data will be helpful for assisting the FWC in constructing their goliath grouper management plans.  DEMA will submit the results of the survey to FWC prior to their workshops.

SUMMARY: 
On May 1st, DEMA asked the industry for its support in contacting government legislators to vote for the passage of the federal "Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017" (HR 1456). Over 170 members of the dive industry have already joined DEMA's campaign and contacted their elected representatives in Congress and an additional seven Representatives have signed on to sponsor the passage of the bill, bringing the current number of total cosponsors to 113. 

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA asks all members of the diving industry to contact your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation.  You can easily do so by joining DEMA’s campaign to support HR 1456 by clicking here.  When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative.

Editor's note: This story was originally published June 19, 2017. The update provided directly below reflects the current number of total cosponsors.

UPDATE, 9/27/18: 250 cosponsors have signed on to sponsor the passage of the bill.

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On May 1st, DEMA asked the industry for its support in contacting government legislators to vote for the passage of the federal "Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017" (HR 1456); a bill which would make it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. 

Over 170 members of the dive industry have already joined DEMA's campaign and contacted their elected representatives in Congress. By sharing how this bill could protect the shark population as well as how YOUR business and the recreational diving industry are made stronger by divers' opportunity to see these creatures in the wild, you have made a difference! 

Since DEMA's campaign launched, an additional seven Representatives have signed on to sponsor the passage of the bill, bringing the current number of total cosponsors to 113. 

We appreciate your support in the passage of this bill and ask all members of the diving industry to join us in contacting your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation. You can do so easily NOW by clicking here. When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative. 

If you receive a reply from your Representative or Senator, please let us know! DEMA will continue to work toward supporting this bill and share updates as they become available. If you have questions about this issue, please email DEMA at publicpolicy@dema.org or contact us at 858-616-6408.

SUMMARY: 
On June 1, the United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, a voluntary agreement outlining potentially significant criteria for participation and compliance with the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Recreational diving businesses and countries that thrive on recreational diving are increasingly adopting policies and practices aimed at preserving, protecting and enhancing the environment. The recreational diving industry MUST have a healthy diving environment, or there is no diving business.  

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA strongly urges all members of the diving industry to read the Paris Climate Accord as presented by the UN Convention, and to contact your elected representatives in Congress to share how the recent change in US policy could affect your company’s and the Industry’s bottom line.  Your message to your Representative and Senator should be personalized and we encourage you to add details about the work of your organization and how this change would impact your company and the citizens you serve. TAKE ACTION by clicking here.  

On June 1, the United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, a voluntary agreement outlining potentially significant criteria for participation and compliance with the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Though less than a treaty, and not ratified by the US Congress, the US signed the Accord in 2016, as one of 148 other signing countries among the 197-country United Nations Convention.  If all countries complied with this Agreement, many believe that greenhouse gasses, thought to be contributing to climate change, could be reduced.

Recreational diving businesses and countries that thrive on recreational diving are increasingly adopting policies and practices aimed at preserving, protecting and enhancing the environment. In every corner of the world, having a clean and healthy diving environment is critical to the success of the recreational diving industry.  On Tuesday, June 6^th Hawaii became the first state in the nation to enact portions of the Paris Climate Accord into law, with Gov. David Ige signing Senate Bill 559. The bill will document sea level rise and set strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

DEMA has long supported an approach to government regulation that balances the health of the aquatic environment with maintaining access to dive sites and minimizing unnecessary regulatory burdens on business.  It should be clear to all that the recreational diving industry MUST have a healthy diving environment, or there is no diving business.

DEMA strongly urges all members of the diving industry to read the Paris Climate Accord as presented by the UN Convention, and to contact your elected representatives in Congress to share how the recent change in US policy could affect your company’s and the Industry’s bottom line.  Your message to your Representative and Senator should be personalized and we encourage you to add details about the work of your organization and how this change would impact your company and the citizens you serve.  Your voice is important so that the diving industry can maintain unfettered access to dive sites and keep regulatory burdens to a minimum while sustaining a clean and healthy diving environment.

You can TAKE ACTION by clicking here.

SUMMARY: 
In March, the federal "Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017" (HR 1456) was introduced in the US House of Representatives. This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins.

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA is supporting this bill and asks all members of the diving industry to join us in contacting your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation.  You can easily do so by joining DEMA’s campaign to support HR 1456 by clicking here.  When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative.

In March the federal “Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017” (HR 1456) was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Mr. Ed Royce of California (R-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and by Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (I-MP).

This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances.  Penalties are imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Chair Royce has stated that, “The United States can set an example for the rest of the world by shutting down its market for shark fins, which are often harvested by leaving these animals to die a slow and painful death at the bottom of the ocean. There are still 39 states where the purchase of shark fins is legal. The bipartisan Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act is needed to eradicate shark finning for good.”

The demand for fins, the key ingredient in shark fin soup, is one of the greatest threats facing shark populations around the world. Fins from as many as 73 million sharks end up in the global market every year, and more than 70 percent of the most common shark species involved with the fin trade are considered at high or very high risk of extinction. While shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, shark fins continue to be bought and sold throughout the U.S.  The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act curbs the market for shark fins by making it unlawful to possess, sell or buy fins anywhere in the US.

We strongly urge you to contact your elected representatives in Congress and share how this bill could protect the shark population as well as how your business and the recreational diving industry are made stronger by divers’ ability to see these creatures in the wild.  Your message to your elected officials should be personalized and we encourage you to add details about the work of your organization and how this bill would impact your company and the citizens you serve. 

DEMA is supporting this bill and asks all members of the diving industry to join us in contacting your legislators to vote for the passage of this important piece of legislation.  You can easily do so by joining DEMA’s campaign to support HR 1456 by clicking here.  When you complete the campaign form, your comments will be sent directly to your representative.

If you are able to contact your Representative or Senator, and receive any kind of feedback, please let us know right away.  DEMA will continue to work toward supporting this bill and share updates on this issue as they become available. If you have questions about this issue, please email DEMA at publicpolicy@dema.org or contact us at 858-616-6408.  

SUMMARY:
In the wake of the Port Everglades dredging delay, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is encouraging the public to provide input as part of an updated analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Port Everglades navigation improvements project. 

TAKE ACTION:
DEMA asks that all members of the diving community attend one of the below scoping meetings, or submit written comments in favor of the new study, citing the value of the reefs to divers, diving businesses and the entire community, and including data on the need to protect the living coral reef.

The Corps’ Jacksonville District and Port Everglades will host two scoping meetings on February 22 at 2:00 p.m.and again at 6:00 p.m.. See complete meeting details below.

Members of the Diving Community unable to attend a meeting can send comments directly to terri.jordan-sellers@usace.army.mil or:
Jacksonville District Corps of Engineers
Attn: Planning Division - Terri Jordan Sellers
701 San Marco Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32207-8175

In the wake of the Port Everglades dredging delay, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is encouraging the public to provide input as part of an updated analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Port Everglades navigation improvements project. These meetings come in part because the Corps has delayed the start of the dredging project until a new environmental study is completed.  The new environmental study is being conducted as a response to a federal lawsuit filed by DEMA, along with several environmental organizations, requesting the new environmental studies be completed before the planned dredging project to expand Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL commences. 

 An open comment period started in late September and will end March 24, 2017.

The Corps’ Jacksonville District and Port Everglades will host two scoping meetings:

·        February 22 at 2:00 p.m.
·        February 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Both meetings will take plan in Hall B, rooms 113/114 at the Broward County Convention Center 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33316. Sign-in and poster sessions start at 2 and 6 p.m., with presentations at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. respectively, followed by a question and comment period. The Corps will share new information and address all submitted written comments in a draft supplemental NEPA document.

DEMA asks that all members of the diving community attend one of these scoping meetings, or submit written comments in favor of the new study, citing the value of the reefs to divers, diving businesses and the entire community, and including data on the need to protect the living coral reef.

Members of the Diving Community unable to attend a meeting can send comments directly to terri.jordan-sellers@usace.army.mil or:
Jacksonville District Corps of Engineers
Attn: Planning Division - Terri Jordan Sellers
701 San Marco Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32207-8175

Your comments should be copied to publicpolicy@dema.org. DEMA will also submit written comments directly to the Corps.

All Port Everglades documents are located at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Navigation-Projects/Port-Everglades/.

The Corps has agreed to reassess its Port Everglades environmental analysis because of new environmental information available about the widespread and unanticipated damage incurred during a similar dredging project at nearby PortMiami and new, local coral species recently added to the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) list.

In Miami, the dredging proved disastrous for the coral reefs in the area. For the PortMiami project, the Corps had assumed there would be minimal impacts to coral, but instead fine-grained sediment from the project harmed tens of thousands of coral colonies and over 250 acres of reef designated as “critical habitat” for the ESA-listed staghorn corals. The National Marine Fisheries Service assessed the area and determined that 95% of the surveyed reef is no longer suitable habitat for corals, and some of the damaged reef will never recover naturally.

The Port Everglades dredging, which was planned to begin in 2017, is now expected to be on hold until at least 2019 while the new environmental analyses are conducted.

In response to a federal lawsuit filed by DEMA, along with several environmental organizations, the US Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to conduct new environmental studies before starting its planned dredging project to expand Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  DEMA and the additional environmental organizations, filed suit in federal court in Southern Florida in August, 2016 seeking protections for coral reefs in the Fort Lauderdale area. The corals in and around Port Everglades are threatened by the proposed port expansion project which was initiated to make way for larger, Panama-canal sized vessels. 

While the Corps conducts new studies, plaintiffs, DEMA and a group of environmental organizations have agreed to put a temporary hold on their federal Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act lawsuit over the planned dredging. The Corps’ dredging plan failed to account for damage to nearby, fragile coral reefs.

The Corps has agreed to reassess its Port Everglades environmental analysis because of new environmental information available about the widespread and unanticipated damage incurred during a similar dredging project at nearby PortMiami and new, local coral species recently added to the federal Endangered Species Act list.

In Miami, the dredging proved disastrous for the coral reefs in the area. For the PortMiami project, the Corps had assumed there would be minimal impacts to coral, but instead fine-grained sediment from the project harmed tens of thousands of coral colonies and over 250 acres of reef designated as “critical habitat” for the ESA-listed staghorn corals. The National Marine Fisheries Service assessed the area and determined that 95% of the surveyed reef is no longer suitable habitat for corals, and some of the damaged reef will never recover naturally.

“The devastating coral damage discovered after the PortMiami dredging gives us all pause. It is a good reason for the Corps to go back to the drawing board and learn from its mistakes in Miami,” said Brettny Hardy, an attorney at Earthjustice, lawyers for plaintiffs in the case. “Under the law, a proper analysis must be done before further taxpayer dollars are spent on this potentially devastating project.”

The Port Everglades dredging, which was planned to begin in 2017, is now expected to be on hold until at least 2019 while the new environmental analyses are conducted.

“The Corps’ and NMFS’ prior environmental analyses simply ignored evidence from PortMiami that showed estimated impacts from dredging near corals are significantly more harmful and widespread than expected.” said Rachel Silverstein, executive director and waterkeeper of Miami Waterkeeper. “The current environmental statements do not reflect ‘best available science’, which is the legal standard for agency decision-making, and therefore, they must be redone.”

“Coral and coastal Floridians will benefit from the Corps pumping the brakes on this massive project,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We have to learn from our mistakes and do what’s right for our irreplaceable coastal resources.”

“We will remain vigilant as this process moves forward to ensure full compliance with the law and protection of our irreplaceable coral reefs,” said Manley Fuller, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation.

Each year, snorkeling and scuba diving in Florida account for almost 9 million visitor-days, create almost 30,000 full-time equivalent tourism-related jobs, and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars directly to the Florida economy.

“The reefs provide huge environmental and economic benefits to South Florida. This is a positive step for the entire recreational diving community, especially in Fort Lauderdale, which depends upon a healthy reef environment” said Tom Ingram, President and CEO of DEMA. “DEMA is determined to help protect the natural reef from destruction so that many generations to come can continue to enjoy the opportunity to see, first-hand, this unique and precious natural resource.”

Earthjustice is representing Miami Waterkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Florida Wildlife Federation, and the Diving Equipment and Manufacturing Association (DEMA). Jim Porter of James M. Porter, P.A. is representing Miami Waterkeeper. Bob Harris of Messer Caparello, P.A is representing DEMA in the lawsuit.

The Corps will hold two public meetings to explore the scope of the project. The meetings are at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, 33316. Public presentations are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with a Q&A period to follow. Anyone with questions about the meetings should contact Terri Jordan-Sellers at (904) 232-1817 or at Terri.Jordan-Sellers@usace.army.mil.