seagrass

SEAGRASS

RFA / TEXAS recognizes the importance of protecting and maintaining our seagrass in a healthy condition, and we will fight to protect it from genuine threats of damage. We also recognize the potential misuse of seagrass issues by those who would seek to cite false seagrass protection issues as a means to deny angler boat access to various areas of our bays and estuaries. We will use this page to keep our members advised of these issues as they surface and we will fight to prevent undue restrictions under the guise of seagrass protection, to the rights of all recreational anglers.

RFA /TEXAS Prevails in "No Motor Zone" Battle

November 2005

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will have to mothball these signs, as RFA / TEXAS successfully lobbied the Commission not to implement the massive no-prop zones slated in the Rockport area.

TPWD recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which would have made the current, voluntary no motor zones in portions of Redfish Bay, mandatory No Motor Zones with draconian penalties for violation. We expressed our position that this was unnecessarily restrictive to the recreational angler's ability to access prime fishing areas, and that a program of education and awareness was the proper solution. We petitioned TPWD to this effect and testified regarding this issue to the TPWD Commission.

This has been a long hard fight. Texas RFA understands the importance of seagrass beds. We also understand there has been a disproportionate amount of false information disseminated to the public about seagrass. Once the Commission was apprised by intense RFA Lobbing efforts, we prevailed in blocking the mandatory no-prop zones .

There will be a fine for flagrant violations disrupting seagrass beds in the scientific area though. The fine would be a class three misdemeanor carrying a 50 to 500 dollar fine. We as RFA members need to be responsible when fishing over sensitive seagrass beds. Please watch your prop position so as to not damage grass beds. If you are unsure you can enter an area without disrupting the grasses, pole in if possible. Seagrass beds are the genesis of all life forms in the bays systems. We must all respect the seagrass beds.

Below is a copy of our letter of Oct. 28, 2005 To TPWD Chairman Robert Cook.

October 28, 2005

Mr. Robert Cook
Executive Director
Texas Parks and Wildlife
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744

RE: Redfish Bay State Scientific Area

Mr. Cook,

Texas RFA is in favor of protecting sea grass when necessary. We feel sea grass is a very vital part of the eco system and the point where all marine life in our bays evolve. Texas RFA is not pleased with the current sea grass plan. Restricting motor access should not be the solution. Continued education should be the solution.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries has been disingenuous on many points when dealing with public involving sea grass in the Coastal Bend.

We were told that the Sea Grass task force would be disbanded due to the fact TP&WD Legal did not feel the meetings were held according to standards set out by either Parks or the Texas Open Meetings act. Staff has emphatically stated to the public that sea grass takes seven years to recover from a propscar. TP&WD staff biologist Dennis Pridgen stated in Rockport that the sea grass beds had been photographed two years ago showing prop scaring. Upon inspection this year he was unable to locate the prop scars as evidenced in previous photo as they had repaired themselves. He went on to say there were some new scarring though. In light of the fact the sea grass beds are recovering on their own in two years simply no action should be taken. Staff has stated there was zero compliance in the voluntary no prop zones. This is simply not true. Staff also testified that compliance dropped once education was dropped due to lack of funding by TP&WD in the third year. This again shows that TP&WD is being unfair in that the Agency has not followed through with their education plan.

Staff has stated that sea grass can not be planted in Texas to repair prop scars. This statement is false as evidenced by the enclosed media disk showing sea grass thriving in Galveston Bay. The area was filmed at great expense by the team from Florida that planted the grass. The Florida Company was not pleased that TP&WD was being disingenuous with it’s statements involving their work. Two divers were flown in to Texas in January to film the project. I was provided the copy. As you can clearly see the sea grass is alive and well. The Coastal Bend meeting in Rockport showed an overwhelming no to changing the plan.

The Redfish Bay grass planting was surrounded by mesh fence allowing dead grass to accumulate cutting off light to the transplanted grass, eventually spoiling the controlled study. This was not a proper test. Mitigation of sea grass being lost due to development or industry in Texas has been successfully replanted in numerous areas. To state to the public that sea grass can not be propagated in Texas is disingenuous.

Coastal Fisheries presented a plan to the Commission at the previous Commission meeting. During Dr. Mc Kinney’s presentation to the Commission the Agency’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer Mr. Flores constantly was shaking his head no to the proposal. This action then caused the Commission to ask for set no prop zones in the final proposal. We feel this action by Mr. Flores in a public meeting was unprofessional by staff and very discourteous to Dr. Mc Kinney. Officer Flores stating that his staff could not enforce anything but the fixed no prop zones is disingenuous. A flagrant violation is very simple to enforce if witnessed by law enforcement.

RFA Texas is astounded by the Department insisting on no-prop zones. Taking draconian measures we feel at this time are not warranted. Texas Parks and Wildlife ignored the twenty two thousand acres of distressed or destroyed sea grass habitat on St. Joseph Island due to the closing of Vinson’s Slough for twenty years. RFA Texas filed Federal Judicial Review in the case of the St. Joseph Island sea grass loss and illegal plugging Of Vinson’s Slough. Texas RFA asked for judicial review on the Nine Mile Hole Scientific Area. We were assured the project would be sunsetted and it was.

Texas RFA with support of the Local Fishing Communities feel that Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission should leave the area as it currently stands as a voluntary No Prop Zone. Texas RFA could again consider judicial review if Parks chooses to implement a no-prop zone in the Coastal Bend, with the majority of local governmental entities supporting our action. The Coastal Fishing communities feel the threat of any fines would disrupt our economic base due to deterring fishermen from coming to the Rockport Area.

Jim Smarr
Texas RFA
P.O. Box 58
Stonewall, Texas 78671

CC: Gov. Rick Perry
C.C. TPWD Commissioners

As elements of these issues approach critical mass and become time sensitive, they will be highlighted with **, alerting you to check our "RFA / Texas Minuteman" page to learn what immediate action you can take to help assure an outcome favorable to the recreational angler.

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