Florida Governor and Cabinet approve Tortugas Ecological Reserve unanimously. The Governor and Cabinet of the State of Florida voted unanimously April 24th to approve the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in state territorial waters. Florida Cabinet approval was the final step needed for 40 square miles of state waters and bottoms to be included in the 151-square-mile multi-jurisdictional no-take reserve located in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 60 miles west of Key West. Approval has already been won for inclusion of 115 square miles of federal waters and bottoms under jurisdiction of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in what will be the nation's largest permanent no-take marine reserve. The Tortugas Ecological Reserve regulations will go into effect on July 1, 2001.
The Tortugas Ecological Reserve, designed to fully protect the best remaining coral reefs off Florida and their marine life, has been under development since 1998. Sanctuary regulations will be in effect in the Reserve, in addition to prohibitions on any take of marine life, anchoring, mooring by vessels over 100 feet long, and diving in the Reserve's 60-square-mile South section.
For the past 2 years, ReefKeeper International has served on the Tortugas 2000 Working Group that designed the Reserve, testified numerous times verbally and in writing before regulatory agencies, made several public awareness Tortugas Reserve presentations, and issued action alerts and news releases to generate public support for the designation.
(This update posted April 26, 2001)