REEL TIME: If we don't, who will?

FROM PAGE 32 water from the legacy phosphate facility at Piney Point in late March 2021 led to the worst algae bloom in Upper Tampa Bay since the 1970s, killing thousands of tons of sea life.

Resident anglers have seen firsthand the decrease in water quality and resulting loss of habitat, seagrass and its negative effect on local fisheries. Unfortunately, those who recently relocated here have no understanding of what has been lost and what that means for future anglers. The concept of “shifting baseline” describes a gradual change in the accepted norms for the condition of the natural environment due to lack of past information or lack of experience of past conditions.

It’s critically important that we vet the politicians who represent us and are charged with enacting rules and regulations to protect our natural resources. A good source of that information is the League of Conservation Voters (lcv.org). The LCV is non-partisan and tracks the voting records of members of the Senate and Congress on environmental issues in its National Environmental Scorecard. This is a clear indication of how those tasked with representing our interests vote. It’s critical that we take decisive action now.

Research candidates before you cast your vote and consider joining and working with advocates like Suncoast Waterkeeper and their Eyes On The Suncoast Program, Vote Water and Sarasota Bay Watch. If we don’t do it, who will?