Islands in the Stream-A profile of Billy Causey
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
P.O. Box 500368
Marathon, FL 33050
(305) 743-2437
billy.causey@noaa.gov

In 1983 Billy Causey became manager of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary off Big Pine Key, Florida. It was a dream come true for him. Here he was able to apply every skill and every bit of knowledge he had prepared himself for since he was an 8 year old, in an area where recreational fishing was not allowed. By the late 1980s he had logged over 18,000 hours underwater since he had begun his underwater adventure in 1957.
Today, Billy Causey manages the entire National Marine Sanctuaries in the Florida Keys. He is currently the Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and has headed up this 2900 square nautical mile Sanctuary since 1990. He has been the lead National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official in the development of the management plan for the Keys Sanctuary, which is the second largest marine protected area in the United States, including his crowning achievement (so far)-; the Dry Tortugas marine sanctuary which banned fishing in one of the largest areas in the nation

Billy Causey is arguably NOAA’s most influential proponent of increased restrictions or complete bans on recreational fishing in massive areas of the Gulf of Mexico. He is currently spearheading a new plan to close or restrict thousands of miles of prime offshore fishing habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.

NEXT TARGET: The Florida Middlegrounds
The concept is called Islands in the Stream. In it Billy Causey, and several other individuals, who curiously prefer to keep their identities secret, seek to turn many of the best offshore bottom fishing areas in the Gulf of Mexico into marine sanctuaries. His most sought after prize is the 348 square mile Florida Middlegrounds, which has been on the wish list of anti-fishing groups’ such as the Nature Conservancy for many years. Causey very much wants to see this famous fishing area of ledges, peaks, and canyons, turned into a marine sanctuary and placed under his control regardless of the fact there is little scientific evidence to support an actual need for it. His intial rational for such restrictions seems to have been pulled from thin air.
On the original Islands in the Stream discussion document, (which had no names on it) the reasons given for designating the Middlegrounds as a sanctuary were to protect fish and corals including: Striped Mullet, spotted sea trout, Spanish mackerel, red barbier, yellowtail ref fish, and Spanish Flag. None of these species actually inhabit the Middlegrounds with regularity. Not to mention that in the Middlegrounds is already protected by a ban on longline fishing, bottom trawls, and fish traps. In addition to those protections, the NMFS has now shut down both recreational and commercial grouper fishing from February 15 through March 15th the spawning season for gag grouper. In reality the Middlegrounds has comparatively little coral growth and is made up of mostly limestone features. Still another factor is its location. The Middlegrounds is more than 65 miles from land. Even moderately windy conditions keep all vessels out and it is out of range for the everyday weekend angler. Rest assured, now that his orignal basis for a Middlegrounds sanctuary have been exposed as inaccurate, he will change it as continue his quest.

Gaining support
Surprisingly, using his influence in the Sanctuary program has helped Causey garner support for his Islands in the Stream plan and it continues to move forward, unnoticed by most of the user groups that it would impact. He will be presenting his plan publicly at the upcoming GMFMC meeting in St Petersburg at. He will most certainly have a room full of anti-fishing groups there cheering him on. This is your opportunity to give your opinion on the issue and bring out the facts. Without opposition, Billy Causey can and will close these huge areas in the Gulf to fishermen. He has done it before. Speaking out against the Islands proposal will notify management officials that there is opposition to the plan. He has however crafted a plan to subvert the normal due process procedure in getting his goal approved.

Mr. Causeys clandestine plan

Today there are limits, check and balances, public process, regional Council approval requirements, scientific peer review, and other requirements for any new sanctuary designation.
In 2000, congress enacted a moratorium on new designations in the Amendments to the Sanctuaries Act.
Lifting the moratorium is contingent upon:
a. publication of a study by the Secretary of Commerce concluding that the “addition of a new sanctuary will not have a negative impact on the system,”
b. sufficient funding in the annual Commerce Department budget for an inventory of the new sanctuary’s resources, and
c. sufficient funding in the Commerce Department budget for complete site characterization studies of all current sanctuaries within ten years.

Since the Islands plan would likely be thrown out after going thru this criteria, Billy Causey and his unnamed associates have decided to attempt to sneak it through by linking all of these famous fishing areas on their wish list together under the single name “Islands in the Stream” then having outgoing President Bush sign a bill designating the Islands in the Stream package as a “National Monument” on his way out the door as a feel good PR move. Going the route of establishing a monument is a sneaky route that largely circumvents the public process but achieves the same goal; the elimination of recreational fishing in a large area. The previous president closed over a thousand square miles to all fishing in NorthWest Hawaii with the stroke of a pen. A tactic the Islands team is hoping to exploit. Close the entire Middlegrounds and many other prime fishing areas without due process.
Even the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council is unhappy with Causeys attempt at circumventing the normal regulatory procedure, and they have written the secretary of commerce to express this: http://www.thefra.org/council%20MPA%20Letter%201107.doc




Praised by anti-fishing groups
In 1994, Billy was presented the annual Chairman's Award by Florida's Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for his work in the elimination of fishing in large areas of the ocean.

In March of 1992, in recognition of his efforts in the field of marine sanctuary management and resource protection, Mr. Causey was awarded the Coral Reef Coalition's annual award for the "Greatest Individual Contribution to the Protection of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary."

In May 2001, Mr. Causey accepted NOAA's Administrator's Award, as a member of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Tortugas 2000 team, "for establishing the Nation's largest marine reserve”.

Should President Bush sign Causeys Islands in the Stream plan, environmental groups will probably give him another award for kicking recreational anglers out of more than a thousand square miles of Gulf of Mexico.

What can you do?
*Read the Islands in the Stream proposal here: http://www.thefra.org/GoMex_discussion_Nov_21_07.pdf
*Show up at the GMFMC meeting Jan 28-31 and speak your mind!
*Write or call your federal representatives in congress and suggest that they check into Causeys plan that would stop recreational fishing in such an important area without a legitimate need for it.
*Write to the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior and to President Bush and inform them that the “Islands” plan is weak on science and facts and seeks to skirt the public process.

Secretary of Commerce
Carlos M. Gutierrez
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230

Great post!

__________________

WWW.SPEARINGMAGAZINE.COM

I can be there for the meeting. I can also make an ass of myself and will willingly do so, in the interest of saving our heritage.

__________________
http://www.panamacityspearfishing.com/

__________________

WWW.SPEARINGMAGAZINE.COM

I am all for saving the rare "Middlegrounds Mullet"...

I'll be there.....

Personally, I don't feel calm about this at all.

In the SE US, if there is any offshore location where fishing is restricted or spearfishing is prohibited, these same "Islands in the Stream" people are involved.

Every one of these areas are primarily FISHING areas.......the Gulf of Mexico's BEST FISHING AREAS. It doesn't seem to bother many people that fishing is already prohibited by these same people at Madison-Swanson, Steamboat Lumps, and Pulley Ridge, because they don't fish there....the commercial guys did.

But, guess what? Now that they cant commercially fish those best fishing areas, they have to crowd into some of the areas that other fishermen use.

These same "Islands in the Stream" people are responsible for the fact that you cant free boat spearfish in the Flower Garden Banks and parts of the Florida Keys NMFS, but you can anchor up and bounce thousands of nube diver picture takers off the reef or toss some lead and mono in there.

I say that they have abused their authority, and we will not give them another bit of power over our country.

We cannot let them get away with this.

is there compiled list of people to send email and letters to?

__________________
Chris Grauer- "To protect, promote, and grow the sport of spearfishing" www.spearfishingplanet.com

I received a copy of the updated Islands proposal today from Mr Causey. No surprise that they have changed their species-in-peril list from the bogus original claims and NOW list the following as "Threats" to the Florida Middlegrounds. These are direct quotes.

THREATS
Extractive Uses
• Because the shallower areas of the Florida Middle Grounds are within diving depth, ease of access to the Florida Middle Grounds subjects the ecosystem to potential overfishing and physical damage.
• Because the shelf-edge habitats of the West Florida Shelf have been fished for over 100 years, it is possible that direct as well as indirect or incidental impacts have already impacted their benthic communities and habitat features. Protection would allow the ecosystem to develop to its full potential and enhance its resilience.

Felicia Coleman was cited as the primary data source.

Last I heard, fisheries management was not about prohibiting "extractive uses". It was about allowing fishing-aka "extraction", while maintaining sustainablity. God help all fishermen when "extractive uses" are considered such dire threats by those in fisheries management.

Jesus. This is all very demoralizing.

Huh? Can I have a hit of what they're smoking? The shallowest spot in the MG will be around 80 fsw, but the vast majority of it is 100 fsw plus which precludes all but the most experienced divers whether they are spearfisherman or otherwise. Of course many people here on SFP dive the MG, but we have a disproportionate amount of the best divers around that are registered members. Easy access? Seventy miles offshore minimum from the nearest point of land is easy access?!!!! This is a full frontal bum rush at eliminating recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico !!!

I was not surprised to see F Colemans name pop up here. Closing the Middlegrounds is her goal in life and has been for some time. Rest assured she is one of the mysterious names hiding behind the Islands title. The problem for her has always been proving there is a real and pending need for such restrictions and having it pass thru due public process. She has tried at least twice and both were shot down.
Now they are trying to avoid the public process and slip it thru another in a way that eliminates anyone elses viewpoint. It is my opinion that Mr Causey is overstepping his job description here. There are real problems with the Islands rationale for eliminating "extraction" (recreational fishing) in the Florida Middlegrounds. Most importantly is that, other than it being near his happy stream, (it is actually NOT on the shelf edge as nearly all the others are) he provides no hard facts that would prove a legitimate need to remove access for such a large portion of public water from the public.
This is nothing more than an unfounded attempt by the enemies of fishing to kick Floridas recreational fishermen out of a large area. It has nothing to do with fish stocks, SSB, MSY, TAC, or any other required criteria for such a grande theft of public water.

Maybe Tony can call her husband and get his opinion for the record.

__________________

WWW.SPEARINGMAGAZINE.COM

Stupid people with no life make other people lifes a living hell...

I will be at that meeting for sure now, this is pissing me off. since when is a 70 miles trip offshore such an easy task? Cant be that easy or I would have already been out there...

Don't you mean his 'good friend'?

__________________
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain

One in the same

__________________

WWW.SPEARINGMAGAZINE.COM

The sickening pit in my stomach shall not be quelled until the naysayers choke on their overzealous assumptions.
I find it truly remarkable that the people effected most arent screaming the loudest..no...... we're reaching a crecendo here but what about the mfrs, chambers, tourism etc. The friggin STATE GOVT. for gods sake!!!!! Florida primaries are coming up... inundate the candidates Rep. and Dems with the effect this will have on the states economy..if we scream loud enough it'll make national news and will be heard.. Lets make it a hot Florida topic..
Hell even the neophytes reconize the eminent disaster that looming.
I spent the day faxing releases, making phone calls and just sharing information and found it amazing the ignorance to this issue..sad...sad...day



Guys "if" for some reason the alarm bell hasnt gone off in your heads.....

WAKE TFU!!!! and smell the coffee...the time is now...put up or shut up time...

Tell EVERY person you know..If they dont fish tell them to tell someone that does..

__________________
Fred H. Shomer RIP 11/19/07

I tried to inform the personel at Scubaquest in Bradenton today of the upcoming meetings and what they had in store...it was met with shrugged shoulders.

__________________
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain

great thread. i will be there for input and will film as much of that day that i can for the public to view online.

__________________
fishkillaproductions.com

I will be there, I can even try out my new fancy smancy Canon 40d Digital SLR there.

We are allowed to take pictures at public meetings, aren't we?

W.T.F.!!!!! I new it was bad, but Jesus H. Christ. Causey and Coleman make Crabtree and Hogarth look like .Mr. Rogers and Mother Teresa. I'm F'n stunned to read this. I heard about the Isla stream thing but had no idea how sinister it really is. B.T.W. where the hell have the Hubbards been on this showdown. Anyone interested in a 106' steel cat with twin 1,000 hp. screws, 85 rod holders and 50 live wells sitting at Johns Pass at a severely discounted price. B.T.W. I just printed up 200 fliers and plan on hitting every baitshop/Marina/Boat dealer ect. Whether it will do any good, time will tell. I think the 30th to be exact. Since none of these Business owners/lazy bums seem to show up for any of the other council meetings. I'm taking 4 days off work, including lost wages,fuel costs, kinko's ect. and pounding the pavement. At best people, try and get anybody you to show up in support. I think one sick day/P.T.O. is worth trying to save our freakin resource. This makes my F'n blood boil. Hey,D.4.B. Small favor. Please bring your funnel and a ton of beer, because somebody's gotta keep me from going postal Bad, Bad Very Bad thoughts are running through my head right now!!!!!! UN-FREAKIN-REAL. Lets get these Bastards on the 30th.. Put down your Guns and pick up your keys. See you guys on D-Day.