Florida's war on weeds is killing fish and supercharging red tide, opponents say
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/us/florida-wee...index.html
On any given day, helicopters and an armada of airboats fan out across Florida's fresh waters to spray tank after tank of poison. Without the millions of gallons of herbicide poured into rivers and lakes, officials say, the state would be choked with weeds.
But a growing chorus of fishermen and hunters, naturalists and activists disagree.
They are convinced that what started as sensible navigation and flood control has turned into a million-dollar-a-month chemical addiction that is killing Florida's natural state.
To gather evidence, a home builder and angler named Mike Knepper has spent over a year chasing spray boats with a camera drone -- a modern-day David taking aim at a giant.
When he captures a state contractor spraying weed killer on live birds or baby alligators, or illegally blowing herbicide across wetlands with the fan of an airboat, the videos become stones in his Facebook sling.
His Goliath is Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, better known as the FWC, which bats away the criticism.
"The FWC takes the mistreatment of wildlife seriously and our contractors are thoroughly trained and monitored," wrote Kipp Frohlich, director at the FWC's Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, on Facebook. He was responding to a September video, narrated by Knepper, which shows contractors on Lake Kissimmee hosing herbicide toward wildlife, including a snail kite -- an endangered bird of prey.
Either by sloppy chance or cruel intent, some clips show the plume of weed killer following birds as they flee but, according to the FWC, "The video in question does not show any inappropriate behavior. Wildlife was not targeted or harmed ... the treatment will benefit native plants and animals."
But more viral videos only brought more scrutiny, controversy and eventually a rare concession from the FWC that the herbicide program has gone too far.
"Despite what you hear on social media, we care about the health of the fish and the wildlife and the ecosystems," said Eric Sutton, the FWC's executive director during a public meeting in December. "We also believe that we would like to see a future that doesn't have to rely upon herbicides."
While announcing an open call for new ideas, Sutton described a plan to keep a closer eye on contractors by putting GPS-enabled sensors on spray nozzles to record the amount and location of every squirt of poison. "Because we've heard accusations that people are just dumping it," Sutton said. "Well, we're going to hold them accountable."
But what started as public outcry over a few sprayed animals has now exploded into a statewide debate over a mounting environmental crisis and how a reliance on weed killers could be a major piece in Florida's toxic puzzle. As the FWC focuses on the alleged misuse of herbicides, opponents are pointing out the damage the spraying does when it is used exactly as planned.
While fast-growing invasive plants outcompete some native species and threaten some waterways, the lush aquatic life serves as the liver and kidneys of Florida's circulatory system. Plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce can clog navigation channels and tangle in propellers, but they are also natural filters that help clean all the pollution flowing out of farms, golf courses and neighborhoods.
Long article, read the link for the rest.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/us/florida-wee...index.html
On any given day, helicopters and an armada of airboats fan out across Florida's fresh waters to spray tank after tank of poison. Without the millions of gallons of herbicide poured into rivers and lakes, officials say, the state would be choked with weeds.
But a growing chorus of fishermen and hunters, naturalists and activists disagree.
They are convinced that what started as sensible navigation and flood control has turned into a million-dollar-a-month chemical addiction that is killing Florida's natural state.
To gather evidence, a home builder and angler named Mike Knepper has spent over a year chasing spray boats with a camera drone -- a modern-day David taking aim at a giant.
When he captures a state contractor spraying weed killer on live birds or baby alligators, or illegally blowing herbicide across wetlands with the fan of an airboat, the videos become stones in his Facebook sling.
His Goliath is Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, better known as the FWC, which bats away the criticism.
"The FWC takes the mistreatment of wildlife seriously and our contractors are thoroughly trained and monitored," wrote Kipp Frohlich, director at the FWC's Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, on Facebook. He was responding to a September video, narrated by Knepper, which shows contractors on Lake Kissimmee hosing herbicide toward wildlife, including a snail kite -- an endangered bird of prey.
Either by sloppy chance or cruel intent, some clips show the plume of weed killer following birds as they flee but, according to the FWC, "The video in question does not show any inappropriate behavior. Wildlife was not targeted or harmed ... the treatment will benefit native plants and animals."
But more viral videos only brought more scrutiny, controversy and eventually a rare concession from the FWC that the herbicide program has gone too far.
"Despite what you hear on social media, we care about the health of the fish and the wildlife and the ecosystems," said Eric Sutton, the FWC's executive director during a public meeting in December. "We also believe that we would like to see a future that doesn't have to rely upon herbicides."
While announcing an open call for new ideas, Sutton described a plan to keep a closer eye on contractors by putting GPS-enabled sensors on spray nozzles to record the amount and location of every squirt of poison. "Because we've heard accusations that people are just dumping it," Sutton said. "Well, we're going to hold them accountable."
But what started as public outcry over a few sprayed animals has now exploded into a statewide debate over a mounting environmental crisis and how a reliance on weed killers could be a major piece in Florida's toxic puzzle. As the FWC focuses on the alleged misuse of herbicides, opponents are pointing out the damage the spraying does when it is used exactly as planned.
While fast-growing invasive plants outcompete some native species and threaten some waterways, the lush aquatic life serves as the liver and kidneys of Florida's circulatory system. Plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce can clog navigation channels and tangle in propellers, but they are also natural filters that help clean all the pollution flowing out of farms, golf courses and neighborhoods.
Long article, read the link for the rest.
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