Dear Source:
I wanted to respond to Leroy Hermon Jr's recent open-forum letter on Banning Fishing in the VI. The tone and stance of the letter fosters the very discontent and division that plagues any efforts to come together and work towards an actual solution. We do agree that a sense of teamwork and dedication towards the common goal of sustainable and healthy resources as this is the only appropriate course of action, but the idea that fishermen are being singled out unfairly is simply not an accurate statement.
The very article that Mr. Hermon citesspecifically notes that the point of contention was the banning of gill and trammel net fishing, methods that are already banned in the areas (namely Florida) he holds up for comparison. If anything this statement serves to reinforce the need for re-evaluation and restriction on practices that have been allowed to continue for far too long in the VI. These restrictions are not intended to punish the fishermen, but instead to save the resources the very resources that the fishermen, their families and the community will depend on in years to come.
While we all sympathize with Mr. Gerson's statement in the article that the fishermen must feed their children today – we must also be concerned with what all of our children will eat and experience tomorrow. There are many professions that have changed over the course of time; perhaps some of these individuals should look at other options besides simply "going on welfare."
Further, addressing the artificial reef suggestion is one with considerable merit. However, it must be evaluated very closely and comprehensively. While there are established artificial reefs throughout the world there are also a number of extenuating issues and concerns that must be addressed. The process is a far cry from simply going to the landfill and dropping some debris in the water. In fact, Mr. Hermon's own home state of Florida (and the surrounding Gulf Coast) is currently in the process of dealing with a "tire issue" www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15560115.htm as a result of a well intentioned but poorly implemented artificial reef project. Good objectives have given way to environmental havoc and huge cleanup costs so I think this alternative should be approached with extreme speculation and sensitivity.
There is no denying that efforts must be made to support local fisherman as they are bearing the brunt of problems that are in no way their fault. This situation is unfortunately a fact of life for many people that live in unity with the oceans and rivers of the world. As Mr. Hermon points out, pollution (raw sewage discharged by the government should without question be THE number one priority along with poor development techniques, oversight and enforcement), hurricanes and rising temperatures related to global warming do take a resounding toll. Of courses there is also no denying that human impacts (development, non-point source pollution, harmful fishing tactics, irresponsible divers) play a role as well, but the fishermen are not being singled out and punished it simply the fact that they have a closer link (and I might point out, more vested interest) to the surrounding water-based resources.
The key is to work in conjunction with conservation efforts and come together to elect officials that will no longer stand for the abuse of our lands and people. We must stop arguing and fighting against each other in small groups and band together to fight for a solution for the protection of our beautiful Virgin Islands and for the generations of Virgin Islanders to come.
Ryan Smith
St. Croix
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