The project to a save the water of Gulf of Mexico is called ‘Island in the Stream’ that would create a patchwork of protected areas stretching from Belize and Mexico around the Gulf of Florida Keys. The draft proposal was made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to this proposal the dozen or so zones will each protect deep-water coral reefs and rock bottoms that house and feed commercially viable seafood species.
The region Mississippi-Alabama Pinnacles is facing major threats from overfishing, bottom-scraping fishing gear and commercial fishing anchors. The area is likely to have fishing limits as it has already oil-drilling limits. Billy Causey, the regional director of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Programme, said that the areas are biologically diverse and vulnerable to degradation and physical impacts. But it is an ideal place for rich reef resources.
The main strengths of the proposal is created zones that are off-limits to all commercial activity and it is difficult that these zones would work in the bustling Gulf, said Dave Allison, Senior Campaign Manager for Oceana, a Washington-based international marine-conservation group. He also said that the effort does not imply the conflict between economic activity and conservation.
Kristen Hellmer, spokeswoman for the Counsil of Environmental Quality, opined that if the administration decides to pursue the concept further, then the stakeholders will have the opportunities to provide input into the establishment and the long-term management of the network.
