Now boaters don’t want to slow down to protect our tamed manatees. While I don’t agree, I do understand their frustration. It appears from comments in the chronicle that boaters don’t believe there are any manatees in the Bay during the warmer months. It kind of hard to see them if you don’t look.

Here’s some data from last June and July. It was provided as part of the public comments on the proposed rule.

Here’s the latest from our friends in the manatee fondling business. “Manatees Hate Kayaks”. Interesting since a good portion of them rent cheap kayaks as well as fondle manatees. It seems they think manatees would rather have tourists fondle them or have their young yanked away for a photo op.

Yeah I’m sure they prefer this.

Just so we are clear, the reason boaters are being asked to slow down is because manatees have been tamed and a good chunk of them no longer migrate. So boaters are going to have to suffer because of the poor ethics of the dive community and the lack of will by the USFWS to emphasize/enforce passive observation. Until they do, the PEER lawsuit still threatens the industry. The refuge use permit requires that operators promote passive observation. The Manatee Eco Tour Association (META) instead promotes “passive interaction“. That means telling tourists it is ok to rub their belly as long as you don’t chase them down to do it. In case you don’t know what that means, a male manatee’s genitals are located just behind the belly button and the female’s are a bit farther back. Either way, if you a giving a manatee a good ol’ belly scratch think about what you are doing. Your dive master is laughing his a.. off. Why? Because it makes them money. The chief of META has put out numbers that indicate if they couldn’t sell the interaction and had to go with just observation they estimate they’d lose 30% of their revenue.

Petting a manatee is doing nothing for the manatee. It just amuses the humans. Any animal can react one of three ways to human stimulus whether it be food, water, or touch. Feeding and watering is specifically addressed in federal law and is banned. Petting is nothing more than providing a different stimulus. An animal that reacts positively by moving to the stimulus is in danger of ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s why the law is in place. In the case of manatees wanting to interact with humans, it is interfering with their migration. Think Kings Bay in the summer.

As for manatees not liking kayaks. No touch produces this:

and this:

and this:

Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Company, Inc 707 N Citrus Avenue,
Crystal River, Fl 34428
352-795-5650

Make Make HIN # Retail Sale Price

USED KAYAKS

Freedom Hawk Freedom 14 Expedition Olive JKU00200I808 $1,695.00 $ 799.00

Eddyline Shasta Tandem EDYO-4264L010 $2,659.00 $1,699.00

Eddyline Sandpiper EDY7-0244I607 $1,329.00 $ 799.00

Heritage Featherlight 17′ SOT Tandem HKW006031304 Disc $ 599.00

Current Designs Double Vision MFPTE150G809 $2,899.00 $1,599.00

Hurricane Phoenix 16 Old Model UHA42007H607 DISC $ 299.00
Damaged Needs Repair

Hurricane Phoenix 16 New Model xxxxxxxxxxxx DISC $ 649.00

Hurricane Expedition 128 Bl UHA10037I708 $1,199.00 $ 549.00

Hurricane Tamplico 135L UHA23920B708 $1,199.00 $ 749.00

Hurricane Santee Expedition UHA31556C607 $1,349.00 $ 699.00

Hurricane Santee Expedition Sport UHA36155I708 $1,349.00 $ 699.00

Hurricane Santee Tandem UHA33560F606 $1,349.00 $ 599.00

Hurricane Open Fisherman UHA00017C010 $ 999.00 $ 599.00

New Boat Closeout
Hurricane Category 5 UHA00124I010 $1,449.00 $1,099.00
Full Warranty
Current Designs Vision 140 MFPTA124J708 $2,199.00 $1,499.00
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Terms of Sale: All kayaks are as is unless otherwise noted. All sales are final. We will offer a 1 month shop warranty on existing repairs. Prices are as listed plus 6% sales tax. We regret we cannot offer free demos as part of this sale.

As you may have guessed if you’ve read any of the posts, I am a manatee (environmental) advocate. I simply want manatees respected as wild animals and to have their needs come first. I would like Crystal River to be known as a premium ecotour destination instead of a tourist trap. I take a lot of abuse from some members of local manatee tourism industry. I have found that the best way to deal with pests is to turn on the lights and let everybody see. This blog sort of works that way. I was constantly being attacked (mostly anonymously) via posts to the local newspaper forums accusing me of trying to ruin the economy of Citrus County. Rather than let these folks take free shots, I started the blog to expose them and go on the record as to what I really said instead of what they claim I said. Those same folks don’t like it when the shoes on the other foot and somebody is pushing back.

Here’s an example: I constantly hear (to my surprise) that I have advocated for the end of swim programs when what I have consistently said is that what I oppose is participants not practicing passive observation as recommended by USFWS, NMFS/MMC, and FWCC. It serves someone’s purpose to have people believe otherwise. People always hate the messenger, especially when it’s not what they want others to hear. Now you know.

To continue (this is sure to piss off somebody): There are problems with ecotourism. It has impacts on the natural resources even when everybody behaves. Throw in ecotour operator wannabe’s who really haven’t a clue that dumping a few hundred people a day, even in smaller groups, on a marine mammal, like say manatees, can ever be called true ecotourism. Just because you are a member of an association with ecotour in its name doesn’t mean that’s what you are doing.

This is from a very good wiki article:

“Ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the tourism industry, growing annually by 10-15% worldwide (Miller, 2007). One definition of ecotourism is “the practice of low-impact, educational, ecologically and culturally sensitive travel that benefits local communities and host countries” (Honey, 1999). Many of the ecotourism projects are not meeting these standards. Even if some of the guidelines are being executed, the local communities are still facing other negative impacts…. A tremendous amount of money is being spent and human resources continue to be used for ecotourism despite unsuccessful outcomes, and even more money is put into public relation campaigns to dilute the effects of criticism. …The money tourism can generate often ties parks and managements to ecotourism” (Walpole et al. 2001). … Indeed many argue repeatedly that ecotourism is neither ecologically nor socially beneficial, yet it persists as a strategy for conservation and development (West, 2006). While several studies are being done on ways to improve the ecotourism structure, some argue that these examples provide rationale for stopping it altogether.

“The ecotourism system exercises tremendous financial and political influence. The evidence above shows that a strong case exists for restraining such activities in certain locations. … At the local level, ecotourism has become a source of conflict over control of land, resources, and tourism profits. In a perfect world more efforts would be made towards educating tourists of the environmental and social effects of their travels. Very few regulations or laws stand in place as boundaries for the investors in ecotourism. These should be implemented to prohibit the promotion of unsustainable ecotourism projects and materials which project false images of destinations.

Ecotourism operations occasionally fail to live up to conservation ideals. It is sometimes overlooked that ecotourism is a highly consumer-centered activity, and that environmental conservation is a means to further economic growth.[14]

Although ecotourism is intended for small groups, even a modest increase in population, however temporary, puts extra pressure on the local environment and necessitates the development of additional infrastructure and amenities. The construction of water treatment plants, sanitation facilities, and lodges come with the exploitation of non-renewable energy sources and the utilization of already limited local resources.[15] …

Ecotourism activities are, in of itself, issues in environmental impact because they disturb fauna and flora. Ecotourists believe that because they are only taking pictures and leaving footprints, they keep ecotourism sites pristine, but even harmless sounding activities such as a nature hike can be ecologically destructive. …Where the ecotourism activity involves wildlife viewing, it can scare away animals, disrupt their feeding and nesting sites,[5] or acclimate them to the presence of people.[5]

While the term ecotourism may sound relatively benign, one of its most serious impacts is its consumption of virgin territories (Kamuaro, 2007). … To generate revenue you have to have a high number of traffic, tourists, which inevitably means a higher pressure on the environment.

While governments are typically entrusted with the administration and enforcement of environmental protection, they often lack the commitment or capability to manage ecotourism sites effectively. The regulations for environmental protection may be vaguely defined, costly to implement, hard to enforce, and uncertain in effectiveness.[20] Government regulatory agencies, as political bodies, are susceptible to making decisions that spend budget on politically beneficial but environmentally unproductive projects. Because of prestige and conspicuousness, the construction of an attractive visitor’s center at an ecotourism site may take precedence over more pressing environmental concerns like acquiring habitat, protecting endemic species, and removing invasive ones.[5] Finally, influential groups can pressure and sway the interests of the government to their favor. The government and its regulators can become vested in the benefits of the ecotourism industry which they are supposed to regulate, causing restrictive environmental regulations and enforcement to become more lenient.

The model of monopolistic competition states that distinctiveness will entail profits, but profits will promote imitation. A company that protects its ecotourism sites is able to charge a premium for the novel experience and pristine environment. But when other companies view the success of this approach, they also enter the market with similar practices, increasing competition and reducing demand. Eventually, the demand will be reduced until the economic profit is zero. A cost-benefit analysis shows that the company bears the cost of environmental protection without receiving the gains. Without economic incentive, the whole premise of self interest through environmental protection is quashed; instead, ecotourism companies will minimize environment related expenses and maximize tourism demand.[5]

The tragedy of the commons offers another model for economic unsustainability from environmental protection, in ecotourism sites utilized by many companies.[21] Although there is a communal incentive to protect the environment, maximizing the benefits in the long run, a company will conclude that it is in their best interest to utilize the ecotourism site beyond its sustainable level. By increasing the number of ecotourists, for instance, a company gains all the economic benefit while paying only a part of the environmental cost. In the same way, a company recognizes that there is no incentive to actively protect the environment; they bear all the costs, while the benefits are shared by all other companies. The result, again, is mismanagement.

Because the regulation of ecotourism is poorly implemented or nonexistent, ecologically destructive green washed operations like underwater hotels, helicopter tours, and wildlife theme parks” (manatee petting) “are categorized as ecotourism along with canoeing, camping, photography, and wildlife observation. The failure to acknowledge responsible, low impact ecotourism puts these companies at a competitive disadvantage.”

Sounds like Crystal River to me.

References

^ Honeyخذذ, Martha (2008). Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? (Second ed.). Washington, DC: Island Press. p. 33. ISBN 1597261254 ISBN 978-1597261258.
^ Untamed Path Defining Ecotourism
. Retrieved on 2009-03-24.
^ a b Randall, A. (1987). Resource economics, Second Edition. New York, USA: John Wiley and Sons.
^ also to do with social sustainability Honey, Martha (2008). Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? (Second ed.). Washington, DC: Island Press. pp. 29–31. ISBN 1597261254 ISBN 978-1597261258.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Tuohino, A., and A. Hynonen (2001). Ecotourism - imagery and reality. Reflections on concepts and practices in Finnish rural tourism. Nordia Geographical Publications. pp. 30(4):21–34.
^ Wight, P.A. (1993). Ecotourism: Ethics or Eco-sell. Journal of Travel Research. pp. 31(3):3–9.
^ Eadington, W.R., and V.L. Smith (1992). The emergence of alternative forms of tourism, in Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Problems in the Development of Tourism. Pennsylvania, USA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
^ a b Crinion, D. (1998). South Australian tourism strategy and the role of ecotourism. Adelaide, Australia: Down to Earth planning for an out-of-the-ordinary industry, presented at the South Australian Ecotourism Forum.
^ “Hector Ceballos-Lascurain”
. Planeta. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
^ “”. “Conversation with Hector Ceballos-Lascurain”
. YouTube. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
^ The Encyclopedia of Ecotourism, Cabi Publishing
^ Buckley, R. (1994). Research Note, a framework for ecotourism. Annals of Tourism Research. pp. 21(3):661–669.
^ Bar kin, D. (2002). Eco tourism for sustainable regional development. Current Issues in Tourism. pp. 5(3–4):245–253.
^ Kamauro, O. (1996). Ecotourism: Suicide or Development? Voices from Africa #6: Sustainable Development, UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service. United Nations News Service.
^ Vivanco, L. (2002). Ecotourism, Paradise lost - A Thai case study. The Ecologist. pp. 32(2):28–30.
^ Isaacs, J.C. (2000). The limited potential of ecotourism to contribute to wildlife conservation. The Ecologist. pp. 28(1):61–69.
^ McLaren, D. (1998). Rethinking tourism and ecotravel: the paving of paradise and what you can do to stop it. West Hartford, Connecticut, USA: Kamarian Press.
^ Mellgren, Doug (2007-05-16). “Travel Experts See Worrisome Downside to Ecotourism”
. Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
^ a b Cater, E. (1994). Cater, E., and G. Lowman. ed. Ecotourism in the Third World - Problems and Prospects for Sustainability in: Ecotourism, a sustainable option?. United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons.
^ Baumol, W.J., and W.E. Oates (1977). Economics, environmental policy, and quality of life. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.
^ Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science. pp. 162:1243–1248.
^ Elper-Wood, M. (1998). Ecotourism at a Crossroads: charting the way forward. Nairobi, Kenya: The final report from the Conference of Ecotourism at the Crossroads.
^ Jacobson, S.K., and R. Robles (1998). Ecotourism, sustainable development, and conservation education: development of a tour guide training program in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Environmental Management. pp. 16(6):701–713.
^ Ziffer, K. (1989). Ecotourism: the uneasy alliance. Conservation International/Ernst and Young.

This Saturday (April 30) was the last day of for the Slow Speed Zone in Kings Bay. From now until next manatee season, high speed water toys will dominate King’s Bay where they can actually legally go faster than in coastal waters. There are a number of things wrong with this scenario and reasons to void it.

Let’s start with a little history of King’s Bay manatee zones. When the original zones were established some 10 year sago, Kings Bay was a much different water body. Water clarity was so good throughout the bay that it was measured horizontally and was consistently in the hundred foot plus range. Pretty easy to see the one or two manatees that summered around the bay and didn’t migrate. There were no PWCs, no kayaks, only a few ski boats (yeah we actually had real skiers) and no great numbers of moored watercraft outside the marina.

Today all that has changed and not for the better. Even most local power boaters won’t go out on the weekends. Here’s a video of what it now looks like.

Combine water clarity so poor that even some of the manatee tour captains refer to their summer tours as braille manatee tours (referring to water quality so bad you can’t see the end of your arm), increased use of the water sport zone by acclimated manatees (Citrus County tourism officials state that up to 270 manatees have been spotted in King’s Bay during a recent summer), increasing numbers of PWC’s, increasing numbers of kayaks, increasing numbers of anchored vessels and it all adds up to a really, really good reason to either modify the sport zone or better still eliminate it entirely. Provide Comments to USFWS here.

A group of kayakers will be getting together to raise awareness of the issue and I would urge all of the dive boats to attend as well. Here’s the info. I might suggest using King’s Bay Park as a launch instead of Hunter’s since it’s a weekend and the park will probably be pretty busy as we return.

This is from Tracy

“Hello All,

We’re having a “Summer Sport Zone, Manatee Awareness, Support a Year ‘Round Slow Speed Zone” kayak/ canoe/ boat “Sit-In”. On Saturday, May 7th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We’ll be putting in at Hunter’s Spring Park and meeting on the east side of Buzzard Island by 10:00. “Please Slow, Manatees Below” hand-held banners will be provided. I’m trying to get some good media coverage of the event so a large turn-out is needed.

Tracy”

I’d also like to suggest that even if you don’t care about the manatee issue, consider it a kayak access issue. After all some of the boaters have told me that kayakers are as bad as manatees when it comes to having to go slow. Only difference is that we are not protected. We have as much right to a safe experience on the water as they have to go screaming around at high speed. Boaters are required to operate at a safe speed for given conditions. Watch that video and tell me if that is what you see.

I don’t believe my many Republican friends ever intended that their elected officials go this far. I have to ask that you all contact them (contact info below) and tell them to back off. It’s one thing to be business friendly, but quite another to erase all protection and in the process, kill jobs like mine. It’s already hard enough to find clean water to paddle on and swim in. It’s about to get a lot harder.

Here are a few of the issues: A sea change in Florida water regulation. In summary, after the State told the EPA that we can take care of our own water, they pass a bill that trashes protection for most waters of the state. “However, thanks to language inserted in HB 239 by Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, Florida’s 43-year-old waterway system would be tossed out. In its place would be a more elaborate one with less stringent standards. Lakes, streams and rivers would be classified according to a pair of scales, one rating the Human Use and the other rating Aquatic Life.

Most of the state’s waterways would fall under the category called Human Use 3/Aquatic Life 2. The Human Use 3 category means that “recreational uses may support prolonged and direct contact with the water with minimal risk of water ingestion in quantities sufficient to pose a health hazard.”

In other words it would be all right to splash around in it as long as you don’t swallow it.”

As bad as King’s Bay is today, there’s not much hope of it getting any better with this in place.

Just prior to this wonderful news, we got this: House passes controversial environmental bill in minutes

“The bill (HB 991) streamlines or erases broad portions of environmental permitting, makes it easier to begin large rock mining projects, allows more development in wetlands, allows owners of leaking fuel tanks to avoid penalties and limits the ability of local governments to require state and federal permits.

“In 30 years of working to protect Florida’s unique natural wonders, never have I witnessed such an egregious and blatant dismantling of those protections,” said Debra Harrison of the National Parks Conservation Association. She said that the bill eliminates 35 regulations intended to protect the environment “under the false pretense of stimulating the economy when, in fact, the only economic benefit will be to those special interests who crafted the bill.” ”

If there is an upside, there is not yet a companion bill in the Senate. Please contact your Senator and make sure this never sees the light of day.

This all followed this from the St. Pete Times: A Times Editorial
The enemies of Florida’s environment

“The governor and the Legislature are headed toward destroying what is left of Florida’s natural beauty. In one legislative session, they would undo decades of efforts to protect the environment and manage growth — and it would take decades to undo the damage.”

PLEASE HELP!

Here’s a “Find Your Legislator“ link. It you want to voice your opinion to someone other than you own district’s representatives, you’ll have to know city of zip code.

Many of you have not been in Florida long enough to have seen the environmental destruction that happened in in the late 60’s and continued , pretty much unabated through the 70’s and early 80’s. You’ve never seen what Florida was and now you never will. You will however witness that same destruction of what’s left. The biggest difference is that we now going into it with eyes wide open and with full knowledge of the consequences.

God Help Us All.

May 6th, 2011 and June 16th,2011 and August 26th, 2011, October 13th
Instuctor Curt Reilly

About the class……….

It is offered at Hunter Spring in Crystal River
Class size is limited to six in order to provide maximum attention to every student

The class runs for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours in length starting at 9:30AM.

The first hour is “dry” and the remaining time “on the water”

The cost is $45 pp and includes the boat, gear and an ACA Certificate

The curriculum is as follows:

Safety - winds and tides; self assessment

Equipment - what you need to have, what you should have and what is nice to have

Communications - how best to communicate on the water

Kayak physics - the dynamics of kayaking

Pre-launch - what to do before you launch

Posture - how to get the most out of paddling without hurting yourself

Entry & exit - the best ways to get in and out of a kayak

Stokes - the various paddling stokes to include forward, back, stopping, sweep, rudder and draw

Maneuvers - how to keep your boat going straight, backwards, and turn-in-place

Rescue & recovery - how to get back into your boat should you need to

If you experienced any problems in recent paddles keeping your boat going straight, avoiding bumping into another boat or just being comfortable paddling I recommend you sign up for the May 6th class.

Call us at the shop to reserve your space. 352-795-5650

Matt

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