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Scuba Forum / General / October 2008Reef Rescue gains protection for coral
On Tuesday October 28, the National Marine Fisheries Service published the final Endangered Species Act (ESA), 4(d) rule granting full protection to two species of Florida coral. “Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral will now have all the same protections afforded Bald Eagles”, said Ed Tichenor, director of Palm Beach County Reef Rescue, who’s group has been working with the federal agency to map the location of Staghorn corals on Palm Beach County reefs. The rule goes into effect on Friday, November 21, 2008. The two corals were first added to the ESA in May 2006. According to National Marine Fisheries Service the 4(d) protections were needed to help preserve the species which are in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. Palm Beach County represents the northern range of Staghorn Coral on the US mainland. While damaging coral is already illegal in Florida, enforcement has been lacking. The new federal protections under the Endangered Species Act provide law enforcement with clear unambiguous language which will make it easier to prosecute offenders. The 53 page document published in the Federal Register lists boat anchoring on coral reefs as an activity that will most likely lead to a violation. In addition to boaters, scuba diver related coral injury is also included, as well as any activity which has potential to harm the protected species. At the November 15 and 16, West Palm Beach Florida Dive Show, Reef Rescue will kickoff its Staghorn Coral public education campaign with lectures, brochures and boat ramp signs. “Once the public becomes aware of the fragile nature of the local corals and the threat of extinction they face, I believe the boating, diving and environmental communities will work together to help in recovery efforts”, said Tichenor. But he also issued a word of caution to chronic offenders, “since July, Reef Rescue volunteer divers have been underwater, video taping illegally anchored boats and have forwarded that information to law enforcement agencies”. To help Reef Rescue, go to http://www.reef-rescue.org/ > On Tuesday October 28, the National Marine Fisheries Service published > the final Endangered Species Act (ESA), 4(d) rule granting full [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > corals on Palm Beach County reefs. The rule goes into effect on Friday, > November 21, 2008. And here I thought that bald eagles had been delisted to "threatened" and are only still protected because they're the national bird. Are you saying that elkhorn and staghorn coral are now the U.S. National Corals? "Until 1995, the bald eagle had been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 43 of the 48 lower states, and listed as threatened in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington and Oregon. In July of 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded the status of bald eagles in the lower 48 states to "threatened." "On June 28, 2007 the Interior Department took the American bald eagle off the Endangered Species List. The bald eagle will still be protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The Bald Eagle Protection Act prohibits the take, transport, sale, barter, trade, import and export, and possession of eagles, making it illegal for anyone to collect eagles and eagle parts, nests, or eggs without a permit. Native Americans are able to possess these emblems which are traditional in their culture." http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/ Or perhaps the corals have been governmentally reclassified as birds? Of course that would give Native Americans the right to possess traditional coral emblems. Watch for a big upswing in Seminole coral carvings for sale at your nearest Hard Rock Cafe. Good going Ed and Mike! >>On Tuesday October 28, the National Marine Fisheries Service published >>the final Endangered Species Act (ESA), 4(d) rule granting full [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Are you saying that elkhorn and staghorn coral are now the U.S. > National Corals? That would be nice. > Or perhaps the corals have been governmentally reclassified as birds? > Of course that would give Native Americans the right to possess > traditional coral emblems. Watch for a big upswing in Seminole coral > carvings for sale at your nearest Hard Rock Cafe. Good going Ed and > Mike! Thanks. The problem has been (and remains, to a lesser extent) that (1) the state definition of "take" is vague and unenforcable, though Gov. Crist has agreed to write an executive order redefining "take", (2) there is no money at the state level for enforcement, and (3) the state is a bit in fear of the recreational fishing lobby which tends to be over-protective of its broad exemptions from regulation. Federal intervention solves (1) and (3), and holds promise - but not guarantees - of some money for enforcement. Reef Rescue will be funding much of getting the word out to boaters. Our budget is very severely strained (we're damn near broke), though, and we would greatly appreciate your contributions mailed to: Palm Beach County Reef Rescue PO Box 207 Boynton Beach, Florida 33425 or on-line at: www.reef-rescue.org or buy neat swag for Christmas at: http://www.cafepress.com/reef_rescue The Bald Eagle stuff is for publicity purposes. It's hard to get the attention of the public and Bald Eagles get a more visceral response than Acropera. The full text of 4(d), and a bunch of other stuff,is at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/acropora.htm. esg > Federal intervention solves (1) and (3), and holds promise - but not > guarantees - of some money for enforcement. Reef Rescue will be funding > much of getting the word out to boaters. Our budget is very severely > strained (we're damn near broke), though, and we would greatly appreciate > your contributions mailed to: Send me an electronic version of a single page, or single sheet, front and back flyer and I'll print and get them sent to about 400 S. Florida boaters, maybe more. Lee >>Federal intervention solves (1) and (3), and holds promise - but not >>guarantees - of some money for enforcement. Reef Rescue will be funding [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Lee Thanks! Files have been sent. esg >> Send me an electronic version of a single page, or single sheet, front >> and >> back flyer and I'll print and get them sent to about 400 S. Florida >> boaters, >> maybe more. > Thanks! > > Files have been sent. Files have been received. I've contacted one of my two boat clubs. I'll have to get approval to add copies of the brochure to the monthly newsletters. I'll see if I can track down their webmaster to get a copy of the poster included somewhere on the site. Lee > The Bald Eagle stuff is for publicity purposes. It's hard to get the > attention of the public and Bald Eagles get a more visceral response > than Acropera. The full text of 4(d), and a bunch of other stuff,is athttp://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/acropora.htm. That's too bad. Bald eagles are filthy vicious carrion feeders. Franklin was right: the turkey should be our national bird instead, especially after 8 years of George Bush. Corals are nice and just sit there not bothering anyone. Except for fire coral. Please don't protect fire coral. Save the turkey and eat an eagle for Thanksgiving! In article <a4617569-0c8c-4761-b2c8-a433bdcb89a9 @d10g2000pra.googlegroups.com>, mossman@qnet.com says... > > On Tuesday October 28, the National Marine Fisheries Service published > > the final Endangered Species Act (ESA), 4(d) rule granting full [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Are you saying that elkhorn and staghorn coral are now the U.S. > National Corals? thump! <sound of greg leaping to another irrelevant and unfounded conclusion.> > In article <a4617569-0c8c-4761-b2c8-a433bdcb89a9 > @d10g2000pra.googlegroups.com>, moss...@qnet.com says... [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > <sound of greg leaping > to another irrelevant and unfounded conclusion.> You're right. I thought my other guess that the government now considers elkhorn and staghorn corals to be birds was actually closer to the truth. Birds lay eggs. Corals spawn. Close enough. Bob The Molestor <Crownfield@verizon.net> sputtered: > thump! > > <sound of... Bobby jumping in to try and help his butt-buddy. ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com ** |
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