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<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi
Kay,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you currently
have a general overfishing problem, then adding artificial reefs with access to
fishers is very likely to add to the problem. Overfishing usually means that
people have already removed 40%, 50% or more of the biomass of target species,
and so space limitation is not likely to be a controlling factor. Adding more
places for fish to live after drastically reducing the original population
rarely makes sense. The artificial reefs become essentially additional fishing
gear, and two of the worst things anyone can do in an overfishing situation are
to improve the gear and/or lower the cost of fishing. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial size=2>Toxins are another
problem, and there are several books and symposium volumes on those. However, if
you are concerned about overfishing, you would already have a good reason
not to go further. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Cheers!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001>
<P><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>John </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>_________________________________________________________</FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>John W. McManus, PhD</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Director, National Center for Caribbean Coral Reef
Research (NCORE)</FONT> <BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Rosenstiel School of
Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS)</FONT> <BR><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Miami, Florida 33149. </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>jmcmanus@rsmas.miami.edu </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Tel. (305) 361-4814</FONT> <BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Fax (305) 361-4600</FONT> <BR><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>www.ncoremiami.org</FONT> </P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=130015316-20112001> </SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
owner-coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:owner-coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov]<B>On Behalf Of </B>St. Eustatius
Marine Park<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 20, 2001 1:52 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov<BR><B>Subject:</B> proposed artificial
reef<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Hello coral-listers. I'm looking for some advice about
a proposed artificial reef for the Statia Marine Park. The local oil
terminal was recently tasked to clean up "the farm" which is basically a dump
for their old heavy equipment. The terminal approached me about turning
some of these items into an artificial reef on the bay side of the
island. We already have two artificial reefs there, but in deeper water
than where the terminal proposed placing this equipment. I toured "the
farm" this morning to look at the possible future artificial reef materials
which include large steel pipes, cranes, containers, iron walkways and
(cringe) SPM hoses which terminal personnel assure me can be cleaned of any
oil residue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Specifically I need to know what materials are safe and
guidelines for preparation of these materials. If we decide to allow the
placement of this material, I need to instruct terminal personnel to separate
materials into "no," maybe," and "okay" piles by mid-December in order for the
terminal to meet the clean-up deadline. At that point they can start
preparation of the materials fit to go in the water.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The Statia Marine Park surrounds the island of Statia and
harbors two no-take reserves comprised primarily of surprisingly healthy
coral. One concern is that fish may move from these natural and protected
areas to these artificial ones where fishing is allowed. There is about
a 2 mile buffer between the proposed site and the northern reserve, and about
a 3 mile buffer between the site and the southern reserve.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I am not completely sold on the idea of artificial reefs
(nothing can come close to matching natural ones), although they do enhance
fishing and diving opportunities which are both important factors for the
economy on this island. Any opinions/advice on this
issue???</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Kay Lynn</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Kay Lynn Plummer<BR>Marine and National Parks Manager<BR>St.
Eustatius National Parks Foundation<BR>Gallows Bay<BR>St. Eustatius,
Netherlands Antilles<BR>Tel: 599-3182884<BR>Fax: 599-3182913<BR>email: <A
href="mailto:semp@goldenrock.net">semp@goldenrock.net</A><BR></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>