M O T E M A R I N E L A B O R AT O RY
FISHERIES CONSERVATION & ENHANCEMENT INITIATIVE: Protecting and Replenishing Sarasota Bay Fisheries — A Barnett Leadership Call to Action With brilliant blue waves lapping gently upon sands as soft and white as sugar, it is no surprise that Florida is the top travel destination in the world with nearly 97 million visitors traveling to Florida in 2013 alone. Even more remarkably, Florida has recently become the third most populous state in the country with more than 1,000 people moving into Florida each and every day. Florida boasts 1,800 miles of coastline, 1,200 miles of sand beaches, and 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and waterways, making Florida’s marine ecosystem vital to its economy and high quality of life. Closer to home, the Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest ocean basin in the world – home to 28 species of marine animals and over 1,500 species of fish. Forty-five percent of all the people who fish in saltwater in the United States, fish in the Gulf of Mexico evidenced by an astonishing $6.9 billion annual impact to our state’s economy. Florida is ranked first in the nation
for recreational fishing with over 47 million fish harvested and 74 million caught and released in 2011. Commercial fishing also has an economic impact with over 97 million pounds caught each year. While visitors may see a bountiful catch, local communities and experienced Florida anglers know that fishing here is not what it once was. Loss of habitat, increased fishing pressure, red-tide kills, and the occasional Florida freeze – like the most recent one in January 2010 – have negatively impacted Florida’s marine ecosystems and fisheries resources. Over 90 percent of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and food demand is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2030. Therefore, it is up to us, all of us, – Mote scientists, anglers, fishing captains, philanthropists and any stakeholder of Florida –working together to help protect, restore and sustain Florida’s natural marine environment. The time is now.