November 26, 2013 — Those beautiful black skimmers gliding along our beach shorelines dipping their long, wide-open beaks into the water are dependent on the bait fish congregating in the shallows.
But many of the state’s imperiled and iconic coastal waterbirds, such as brown pelicans and skimmers, are vulnerable to declines in small fish populations, according to a new report by Audubon of Florida and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The report, “Fins and Feathers: Why little fish are a big deal to Florida’s coastal waterbirds,” reveals there are few regulations limiting the amount of forage fish hauled out of Florida’s coastal waters each year, used for fertilizers and fish meal.Commercial fisherman, for instance, netted more than 9 million pounds of mullet in 2012, mostly for their eggs that are sold around the world as a delicacy.
What’s also troubling, Pew and Audubon point out, is a critical gap in conservation efforts.On one hand, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission drafted species action plans for 60 bird species warranting protection — including 10 species dependent on forage fish. Rules and permitting changes to protect these species will be completed by 2014, with the plans and rules slated for final adoption in 2015.
Read the full story at the Pensacola News Journal