Naples Pier pelicans could be protected with new fishing rules

Members of the Naples City Council will vote on Wednesday whether to approve changes to the fishing rules at Naples Pier to protect pelicans.

Proposed changes include regulating the possession of large hooks and bait, closing the pier for fishing every day between 11pm and 5am, banning unsupervised fishing, and starting a pilot program that will run the pier from January to May would be closed to fishing every Sunday next year.

The Arx Wildlife Hospital in the Conservancy of Southwest Florida first proposed a range of solutions to the Naples City Council in June to reduce the number of injured pelicans caught with fishing gear on the city’s landmark.

“I just want you to know that all we have tried is a very balanced approach, based on a lot of research and a lot of data, that also appears to be similar to communities across the state of Florida,” Rob Moher, president and Conservancy CEO said at the June meeting.

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The conservancy reported that nearly 200 pelicans were brought to the wildlife hospital in 2020 after becoming tangled in fishing gear.

“Our budget cannot support this number of injured animals,” Joanna Fitzgerald, director of the Arx Wildlife Hospital, told council members in June. “Over $ 70,000 is being donated by the Conservancy to rehabilitate injured animals – and that’s really just pelic counts. This does not include any other species. “

The council sent the matter to the Community Services Advisory Committee in September to clarify the fuller details of the proposed changes, and the Naples Police Department suggested other changes to help officials comply with the municipal ordinances on the pier regardless of the efforts of the Enforce Conservancy. Both efforts have been combined so that the Council can vote on Wednesday.

Between August 1, 2017 and November 11, 2021, the Naples Police Department reported 11 incidents related to fishing violations at the Naples Pier, according to the Department. Violations at the pier included using oversized fish hooks or reels, catching sharks, using triplets, feeding birds, and using multiple fishing rods.

Some of the police reports find birds and pelicans entangled in equipment that violates city law.

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At the Advisory Board meeting, citizens expressed concern about the proposed changes.

In a letter to the board of directors, W. Andrew Jack urged the council to keep pier fishing times intact, support the expansion of the Conservancy’s Pelican Patrol operation, and encourage stakeholder collaboration.

“These collaborations were designed to increase education and awareness – especially for first-time visitors – to reduce the risks to the pelicans while enjoying the unique fishing opportunities on the pier,” wrote Jack.

The city funds Pelican Patrol seven days a week to help birds injured by fishing gear.

In November, Councilor Ted Blankenship spoke out against the all-day fishing closure at the pier and supported the new language of the regulation. He suggested leaving the ordinance in force first and reconsidering the all-day closure if the number of injured pelicans remains high.

“I think that’s a step too far,” he said. “The ordinance is fine with me, but the idea of ​​closing the pier one day a week is premature in my opinion.”

From the past:Limited fishing times and more? Suggested fishing rules at Naples Pier are of public interest

Councilor Raymond Christman said he was an initial skeptic about the full-day shutdown, but conversations with Pelican Patrol officials changed his mind.

“This overall package here, including closing the pier one day a week for fishing, really is an excellent compromise that brings people with different views together,” he said.

If the city council passes the amendments to the ordinance, Naples Police Lieutenant Michael O’Reilly said officials will start an education initiative at the pier before handing out written warnings.

Once the changes were made public, he said first-time offenders would be fined $ 100, with each subsequent offense adding an additional $ 100.

Members of the public can speak for three minutes at the Wednesday meeting at City Hall after filling out a form in the back of the council chamber and placing it in the speaker request box near the podium.

Karl Schneider is a reporter for the Naples Daily News. You can reach him at kschneider@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @karlstartswithk

See similar https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2021/12/13/naples-pier-pelicans-could-get-protection-new-fishing-rules-florida/6448287001/

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