Fish for life

I remember the first fish I ever caught. I was fishing with my father off the YMCA dock on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. I had a new Zebco fishing rod and reel. The weather was perfect. The tide was dropping and the wind was just right. I landed the first fish of the day. It was a “croaker” as my dad called it. I was thrilled with the entire experience, even if the fish was not large enough to keep.

I also remember the first fish my daughter caught. She was fishing with her father. I was out of town working. They called me and shared, without missing any details, her big fish story. I could hear the excitement in both of their voices. Our daughter had landed her first fish on a brand-new Snoopy rod and reel with the bait of her choice. It was a 17-inch flounder, which they cleaned, cooked and enjoyed together all in one day. I was sad not to have been there with the two of them for this memorable experience. However, I knew our daughter would be hooked on fishing forevermore, just like her parents.

Memories of a good day fishing can stay with us our entire life. They are important for many reasons. Fishing connects families and friends. Fishing connects us directly to nature. And fishing teaches us how to be patient. Fishing is also a way of life for many around the globe. Think of how many fishermen depend on the sea to make a living. And, think of how many of us enjoy eating fish on a regular basis. Fish have been part of a healthy diet for as long as humans have roamed the earth.

According to Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper, “Florida has the largest recreational fishery in the United States and the second largest seafood industry. It only makes sense to protect Florida waters and Floridians from toxic chemicals that accumulate in our fish.” I agree with her.

So, naturally, I was extremely interested to read last week that a lawsuit was filed against Lee M. Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in federal court by the Environmental Defense Alliance and Waterkeepers Florida. The lawsuit claims that the EPA has failed to adopt water quality protections concerning toxic and cancer-causing chemicals in Florida’s waters.

According to the Environmental Defense Alliance and Waterkeepers Florida, “Water quality criteria for dozens of toxic chemicals that affect human health are supposed to be reviewed and updated by state environmental protection agencies like the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), every three years in order to keep pace with updates in scientific research and new information. These toxic pollutants include known carcinogens like benzene and other chemicals found in fumigant pesticides and industrial solvents. However, many of Florida’s water quality criteria have remained woefully outdated since the 1990s."

"The goal of the Clean Water Act is to ensure that all U.S. waterways are ‘fishable and swimmable,’ but lax enforcement from our state and federal environmental protection agencies has prevented these goals from becoming a reality,” says Waterkeepers Florida Chair, Jen Lomberk. “Floridians deserve water that is clean and safe enough to swim in and fish from.”

David Ludder, attorney for the Environmental Defense Alliance added, “The executive order issued by President Trump does not supersede or suspend the requirements of the Clean Water Act. Among those requirements is a congressional mandate that the Administrator of EPA promulgate water quality criteria no later than 90 days after EPA publishes proposed criteria determined to be necessary to protect fishing and shellfishing uses of waters.”

According to Waterkeepers Florida website they are “a regional entity composed of the individual Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our waters across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians. Part scientist, teacher, and legal advocate, Waterkeepers combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities and to the rule of law. Whether on the water, in a classroom, or in a courtroom, Waterkeepers speak for the waters they defend — with the backing of their local community and the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance.” The St. Marys Riverkeeper is one of 15 Waterkeeper organizations working in the state of Florida to protect and restore our water resources.

The Environmental Defense Alliance strategically uses law and policy to protect human health and the environment. According to their website, “The Alliance does the legal and policy work needed to protect members, their communities, and the environment. Members provide the Alliance with the input that the Alliance may seek to prioritize and make its actions more effective and members can choose to advance those actions by assisting with efforts in local communities.”

North Florida is not immune to water quality issues. I addressed statewide and local water quality problems in two recent articles published in the Fernandina Observer (see links below). Since the publication of those articles, I discovered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that in 2024 the city of Fernandina Beach wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) was out of compliance in several areas. A warning letter dated Dec. 2, 2024, was sent to the Utilities Director, Mr. Andre Desilet. In the letter, the facility was encouraged to take corrective action for effluent parameters exceeding limits for enterococci, total nitrogen, and chronic toxicity from August 2022 to September 2024.

I was prompted to request this information when I learned that an unknown volume of partially treated sanitary sewer wastewater was spilled into the Amelia River. This event occurred on Sept. 12, 2024 from the city of Fernandina Beach WWTF. Days prior to this spill, a significant amount of non-tropical storm-related rain was recorded within the city limits. This caused me to pause and consider how could several days of afternoon thunderstorms cause the WWTF to overflow? Is the WWTF at or near capacity? Do we have a plan for storing excessive stormwater runoff from entering the WWTF and causing overflows in the future?

All these questions and more will be the subject of future articles I plan to write. I am in the process of collecting additional information through the FOIA process. In the meantime, you can read the FDEP warning letter dated Dec. 2, 2024 and the full report to the city of Fernandina Beach WWTF here.

I support the long-standing mission of the EPA Clean Water Act. Safe places to swim and safe seafood to consume are important to all Floridians, as well as our annual 30 million visitors. Clean water makes good economic sense for everyone. Remember, we are not owners of natural resources, we are simply custodians of natural resources for future generations.

Finally, remember these words when planning your next fishing trip. It is the best fishing advice I ever heard.

“When the wind is from the north, fishermen do not go forth.

When the wind is from the east the fishing is least.

When the wind is from the south it pushes the bait in their mouth.

When the wind is from the west the fishing is best.”

 (unknown author)

Good luck, be safe and have fun!

Recent water quality articles published by the Fernandina Observer:

Nassau County’s Water Quality Crisis: A Call to Action – March 24, 2025

Amelia Island Water Quality Alert – August 4, 2025