Big Win for Huge Coral Reefs off NC, SC, Georgia, Florida

/PRNewswire/ -- Environmental Defense Fund saluted the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council today for its final vote to protect what may be Earth's largest deepwater coral ecosystem off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. A veritable wonderland of marine life, the 25,000-square-mile area is among the most important in the world for marine species and for exploration for biopharmaceuticals.

A first for fishery councils in the United States, the model safeguards strike an innovative balance between protecting critical habitat while allowing fishermen continued access to traditional fishing grounds using gears that do minimal damage to reefs.

The action by the regional council, which is meeting this week in Charleston, SC, culminates 10 years of collaboration between scientists, managers, conservationists and fishermen.

"We started with the idea of protecting every single square mile, even before we knew how many there were," said Doug Rader, chief oceans scientists for Environmental Defense Fund. "The final plan incorporates the science coming straight from research vessels. I know of no other process in the world where unpublished, brand-new science was translated so directly into world-class protection for a unique natural resource."

Rader served as chair of the regional committee that developed the protection plan. He was instrumental in bringing together fishery managers and fishermen to chart the areas in which fishing is allowed with certain gear.

"The plan could not have happened without the scientists who shared privileged data, the fishery managers who imagined this stunning outcome, and the fishermen who worked side-by-side on the design," said Rader. "We commend the commercial fishermen who participate in the golden crab and royal red shrimp fisheries for their collaboration. Working together, we set an important example of co-management that can be replicated in other fisheries."

The fragile reefs lie 1,000 feet or more below the ocean's surface. Individual colonies may be more than 1,000 years old, and individual coral mounds may be more than one million years old.

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"OperationDry Water" Takes Aim at Impaired Boat Operators

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division is teaming with the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and other partner agencies for “Operation Dry Water” the weekend of June 26-28. Operation Dry Water, a coordinated national weekend of BUI detection and enforcement, is aimed at reducing the number of alcohol related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.

Georgia DNR Conservation Rangers will be concentrating patrols in high traffic areas on reservoirs across the state. Along with the use of life jackets and other safety practices, officers want boaters to be aware of the effects and ramifications of alcohol use.

“Statistics show that more than 20 percent of boating-related fatalities are a result of alcohol use, says Colonel Terry West, DNR Chief of Law Enforcement. “This continues an upward trend in the percentage of fatalities where alcohol was the primary cause of the accident.

As part of “Operation Dry Water,” the Georgia DNR will be intensifying efforts to detect and apprehend boat operators who are operating under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs. Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time.

Alcohol, mixed with boating activities, creates dangerous conditions that can lead to tragedy. Last year, Conservation Rangers made 215 boating under the influence arrests on Georgia waterways and responded to 18 alcohol-related boating accidents.

“It is not illegal to have alcohol in an open container on a boat, nor is it illegal for a person operating a boat to drink, provided they are no less safe,” says West. “However, if a person is over the age of 21 and has a blood alcohol content of .10 or higher, they are presumed to be less safe and may be charged with boating under the influence.”

People arrested for BUI may lose their privilege to operate a boat. These privileges are not reinstated until the successful completion of an approved Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program. The offender will be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable with up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to 12 months in prison.

The BUI law establishes a “zero tolerance” blood alcohol level of .02 for people under age 21 who are operating a boat. Minors who are arrested for BUI will face misdemeanor charges. The law also creates misdemeanor offenses for “endangering a child” if a boat operator transports a child under age 14 while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, this law also allows for the revocation of boat operator privileges for people who refuse a sobriety test and/or people who have a blood, breath or urine test that shows the presence of illegal drugs or an alcohol level of .10 or higher.

The marine environment, consisting of waves, engine noise, sun and wind, accelerates impairment and fatigue in recreational boaters. This can quickly become a hazardous situation when combined with the effects of alcohol.

Alcohol affects a boat operator’s coordination skills, judgment and reaction time. The consumption of alcohol causes inner ear disturbances, affecting the balance and ability of an intoxicated person who falls overboard to determine the correct route to the water’s surface.

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division is dedicated to reducing loss of life and injury on U.S. waterways by improving the knowledge, skills and abilities of recreational boaters.

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Online Guide For New Ship Speed Regulation Available

An online guide to a new ship speed limit designed to protect imperiled right whales will hopefully help speed up compliance while encouraging large ships to slow down.

The compliance guide for the right whale ship strike reduction rule made effective this week is available at:

·NOAA Fisheries’ Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Web site: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike/

·NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Region's Right Whale Conservation site: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/mm/rightwhales/rwconservation.htm

·NOAA Fisheries Northeast Region's Ship Strike Reduction site: www.nero.noaa.gov/shipstrike/

The speed restriction established by the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requires vessels 65 feet or longer to slow to 10 knots or less while traveling in designated critical habitat areas along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The rule went into effect Tuesday, Dec. 9.

North Atlantic right whales are slow swimmers that frequently rest just below the surface and often do not respond to the sounds of approaching ships. Ship strikes are the leading cause of mortality for the species. Other threats to survival include entanglement in commercial fishing gear, collisions with smaller recreational boats and disease.

The regulation specifies November to March as the calving season. The warm coastal waters off the Georgia and northeastern Florida are the only known calving grounds for these rare aquatic giants. The whales are especially vulnerable during this time due to heavy traffic in Georgia’s shipping lanes, where the whales tend to be found. It has been estimated that the loss of one or two female right whales a year could lead to extinction of the species within a century.

Federally listed as endangered, there are only 350-400 north Atlantic right whales left in the world.

Georgians can help conserve right whales, as well as other animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped and their habitats, through buying wildlife license plates featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff. Both programs are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds. Visit www.georgiawildlife.com for more information, or call Nongame Conservation offices in Social Circle (770-761-3035), Forsyth (478-994-1438) or Brunswick (912-264-7218).

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