ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — New fishing regulations are now in effect at the world's longest fishing pier — the Sunshine Skyway Pier.
The changes are intended to keep pelicans around the pier safe after countless birds have become hooked or entangled in fishing lines.
Vice President of the Clearwater Audubon Kim Begay has seen the damage first-hand.
"It is just unbelievable how many pelicans have been hooked and tangled," Begay said. "All of this is causing huge declines in the population of brown pelicans."
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, nearly 2,000 seabirds, many of them pelicans, are injured or killed near the Skyway Pier each year. Most of them get entangled in fishing lines or hooks.
The FWC has had several public hearings about this issue earlier this year.
In a 3-2 vote in July, FWC leaders adopted the following changes:
- A seasonal ban of sabiki rigs or fishing rigs with more than one hook — from Nov. 15 to March 15
- Limiting anglers to no more than two sets of fishing gear
- A requirement to complete an annual online FWC educational course
To take the FWC course, click here. Anglers 16 and older are required to complete the course annually. Anglers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult who has completed the course.
Begay feels the course will be productive for a majority of anglers.
"I thought it was very thorough and explained all the reasons why it's important to protect the pelicans," Begay said.
She did, however, say she wished the course gave a more thorough explanation of how to best untangle and unhook the pelicans.
Not everyone is supportive of the changes. Local anglers suspect some will be reluctant to "cast off" the old ways of fishing on the pier.
"A lot of people are going to be pissed when they can't use that type of lure that catches mackerel, especially when the cooler season comes around," said Dev Mohan, a local angler. "The majority of lures are going to come with these rules, so they're going to have to switch them out, get more stuff and waste their time. They're just going to get mad."
A representative for a local fishing group called the Skyway Misfits shared a statement with 10 Tampa Bay on Monday evening, saying:
"The Misfits and myself as representatives of the recreational angling community in Tampa Bay are disappointed with this addition of arbitrary regulations based on FWC staff recommendations and very questionable data. Some that claimed to represent the anglers agreed to these terms without ever consulting with those particular stakeholders. It was all behind closed doors and the public was oblivious.
"Our group including a retired United States Government employee have spent thousands of dollars on public records requests to better understand how this all came to be. The findings are troubling. Much of the data provided has come from the rescuers urging the commissioners to enact new rules," the statement continues. "FWC themselves have rarely if ever acted on enforcement of the unlawful feeding of seabirds at the Skyway for years creating the environment that causes the pelicans to become entangled at a higher than usual rate at this location. Other locations where the Friends of the Pelicans Group are not feeding these birds do not see this type of entanglement data. The illegal feeding and lack of enforcement has now resulted in new regulations that discriminate against recreational anglers that cannot speak or read English, access a boat because of disabilities or lack of financial means limits them to the pier. Not to mention tourists. It’s arbitrary, premature and unnecessary.
"The FWC has been actively patrolling the pier for documentation of this new requirement as well. If they begin to fine anglers this will be a proven example of how aggressive lobbying from a few very small groups and years of selective non-enforcement of the law have caused innocent fishermen and tourists to be completely failed by a system designed to serve them. As of the date of this statement volunteers with Friends of the Pelicans are still illegally feeding the Pelicans with zero consequences. What happens when wild animals are fed? This situation is not complicated. We support law enforcement and FWC as a whole, however, this particular situation is a complete failure and the recreational anglers are left paying the bill."
On the matter of enforcing these new regulations, FWC says it will first focus on educating anglers about the new rules before issuing fines.