2/6/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BOOK 7 9 PAGE_ 55 the Sebastian Inlet's plan is a very good one and is very enforceable. In closing, Mr. Kiefer encouraged the Board to request that more Marine Patrol officers be hired to enforce the laws on the books at the present time, and stressed that education and enforcement are key factors in making this whole thing work. Wayne Harrison, resident of River Shores, liked Commissioner Bird's proposal for specific sites for manatee protection and leaving -the rest of the river open for the boaters and fishermen and whoever else wants to go out there and enjoy the water. He pointed out that the 5 specific waterskiing sites would become overcrowded and accidents would occur. He felt that it is time that boaters be licensed and required to take a course to learn the rules of the road. Mr. Harrison also wished to point out that 35 mph is a little too slow to pull heavier skiers up out of the water, and felt that a 40 miles per hour would be a better speed limitation. Wally Kramer realized there is a monumental task ahead of us in our efforts to protect the manatee and satisfy the boaters' rights to use the river. He felt that our wanting to save the manatee is a way of saying that we have to save our entire Florida marine environment. As a member of the Brevard County Advisory Board, he feels that before an effective program can be put into effect, we need to spend more time and hold more meetings on such matters as water depth, boat traffic, up-to-date manatee counts, criteria for waterskiing areas, value of certain commercial fishing areas, location of grass beds, boat wake speeds, etc. He lives along the St. Sebastian River and sees 5-6 manatees hit in a year's time, not by big boats, but by outboards, and half of them don't even know what they have hit, The St. Sebastian River is a manatee love nest, a birthplace, a sleeping place, and a sanctuary, and if we are going to protect manatee anywhere, let's do it where the population is so thick 49 r -I