I am repeating hearsay information as heard while off-gassing between dives on vacation. I have better things to do with my time other than fact checking the information heard with NOAA management. This is a discussion board not a court of law. How did the lionfish spotted in September get past you? Back for training? Lol
LOL. The training occurred after we spotted the lionfish. NOAA had a coral disease cruise there two weeks later, didn't see the one we reported. Many folks don't understand the different levels of regulations in the Sanctuary/park. I only understand what applies to me, and I will try to make the mud clearer.
Dry Tortugas National Park. (or DRTO). Dry Tortugas National Park is a buoyed off area which encompasses 7 islands around Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas. This land is part of Monroe County FL, including the submerged lands. Spearfishing is prohibited with in the park. If there are speared fish on the boat, diving is prohibited within the park. Fishing is allowed in the park, but not in the Research Natural Area, which is basically the northwest 1/3 of the park, not including a 1 mile radius around Garden Key. No commercial vessel may operate inside the national park without a commercial use authorization. Only 4 vessels currently have Commercial Use Authorizations which include diving in the park, the M/V Ultimate Getaway, R/V Tiburon, M/V Playmate, and M/V Spree. All CUA's expire at the end of the year. We are waiting to see who gets approved for the next 2 years. If an operator visits the park without a CUA, they risk a $10,000 fine. That includes any vessel for hire, even if it's a 6 pack. There are also CUA's for wildlife viewing, sailing schools, charter fishing boats, and ferry boats. Fishing by any method within the Research Natural Area of the park is prohibited by any method. So is anchoring, once the mooring buoys are in place.
Surrounding the waters of the DRTO is the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Regular Sanctuary rules apply within the sanctuary, fishing is allowed, don't anchor in the coral. Within the Sanctuary, however, are some special designations. One of the designations is the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. The TER is divided up into North and South. South is known as Riley's Hump, and is a spawning ground for many many types of fish and has some resident species that are difficult to see in other locations, such as the Sargassum Triggerfish. Vessels may only transit Rileys, they may not stop there. That means no diving, for any reason. A commercial vessel cannot get a permit. The only way to go there is with a valid research permit. NOAA holds 2, and FWC holds one. Otherwise, if an operator tells you he's taking you to dive Riley's, he risks confiscation of his boat.
TER-North is a result of the Tortugas 2000 effort. Restrictions include no anchoring, no fishing, if fish are onboard, no stopping while in transit. Basically, the same restrictions that are present in the Research Natural Area of the DRTO. Any vessel must have a permit to go to the TER-North, regardless of ownership. Permits are obtained from the FKNMS headquarters office in Key West. A charter boat was caught in the TER-North last year anchored, fishing, with over limit grouper, and 2 jewfish onboard. The vessel was obviously on an overnight trip, and only had one captain. Fines totaled over $90,000. I don't know what the settlement was.
If an operator tells you that they have a permit to dive (or operate) in the Dry Tortugas, ask to see it. Not that you would get to participate in the fine, but that may cut your hard earned vacation short if the vessel is required to return to port for "further action". OBTW, past performance and prior possession of a park permit is no guarantee of future holding of a permit. They may tell all current permit holders to go pound sand and award the permits to all new vessels. And they are checking. I was boarded twice last year by NPS rangers, and once by NOAA/FWC LE to ensure I was in permit compliance.
Valhalla, I am authorized to capture lionfish in SPA's (Sanctuary Protection Areas). We don't operate in SPA's, and there are no SPA's in Dry Tortugas. They didn't even provide beer at the training session. I'm not too sure why I went, except I was hoping they would train us to catch lionfish in the TER also. Must be a different kind of ocean/reef. We are asking the Sanctuary Staff to hold a train the trainer course so we can teach customers to catch the little buggers. Then we can have a proper lionfish roundup.
Frank