Anglers angry over FWC’s buffer zone proposal

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Buffer zones intended to protect local birds could be popping up around Southwest Florida, making popular islands off limits to fishermen.

Florida Fish and Wildlife is proposing a boating ban at six islands in Lee County. The ban would keep boaters and fishing lines 150 feet away from designated spots: Coconut Point, Carlos Pass and Mantanzas Pass in Estero Bay and Useppa, Broken and Hemp islands in Pine Island Sound and Rookery Island in Collier County. Some of the proposed bans are year-round, while others are seasonal.

Nancy Douglas of FWC said the proposal is a statewide conservation effort to save shore birds, wade birds and sea birds.

“Historically, we’ve lost anywhere between 80 and 90 percent of those birds,” Douglas said.

FWC called the islands critical wildlife areas and said the nesting of these birds is disturbed by human activity, but local fishermen argue that they do not pose a threat to wildlife.

“When we fish these islands we are not coming in here with our motors rolling making a lot of noise,” said Capt. Greg Stamper of Snook Stamp Charters.

Fisherman Brett Cox also opposes the proposed zones.

“We’ve been fishing the waters for millions of years and it’s never affected birds and so all the sudden it’s affecting birds? I don’t understand that,” he said.

Anglers say if the proposal were enacted, local business and recreation would suffer. But supporters of the proposal think the zones are a needed sacrifice.

“Compromises have to be made to maintain a balance and someone has to give somewhere,” Melinda Averheart, who attended an FWC meeting in downtown Fort Myers said Wednesday.

The plan’s opponents said FWC should focus its energies on improving the state’s water quality.

“Fishing these islands is not going to destroy the bird population,” a local angler said. “If the water quality was better and there was more bait around for them to eat, I’m sure their population would increase, as well.”

The project will cost under $100,000 if approved and is expected to increase bird populations by 67 percent, FWC said.

Have an opinion about the buffer zone proposal? FWC would like to hear from you. You can email them your comments at CWAcomments@MyFWC.com. Final approval for the ban takes place in November.