burden on those businesses now in the area, nor would it necessarily 

 preclude others from becoming collectors. However, a permit and monitoring 

 system will have to be established by OCZM that is suitable for processing 

 and monitoring commercial permits. 



It is not likely that administration and enforcement of such a 

 permit system for effective regulation of tropical specimen collecting could 

 be developed. It would require the undertaking of extensive monitoring of 

 fish stocks to determine when sufficient populations of the species existed 

 and at what point and to what degree taking would be appropriate. Commercial 

 permitees could not be monitored given existing resources, to assure that their 

 actions would be consistent with the conditions of the permit. A permit system 

 of this nature would require elaborate surveillance of collectors and specified 

 check points for ingress and egress at the sanctuary. As an example, it would 

 be virtually impossible to determine whether a permitee took only x specimens 

 over a period of y months. 



The taking of important ecological species such as the neon goby 

 and the depletion of naturally rare species so desirable to a marine 

 sanctuary would continue although permitting the activity would allow 

 monitoring of activity levels and control whenever necessary. 



Prohibiting the use of chemicals would limit collecting activities 

 to the more experienced collector. Since the long term effects of the 

 commonly used qui nal dine are not well documented this restriction will 

 eliminate the potential for harm. 



c. Prohibit tropical specimen collecting (marine life fishing) 

 within all boundary alternatives except for scientific and educational 

 purposes with NOAA permits . PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE . 



This alternative would protect and enhance the tropical fish 

 population at Looe Key, prevent the depletion of ecologically important 

 species, add to the aesthetics of the sanctuary, and maintain and enhance 

 the long term productivity of the Looe Key coral reef for future generations. 

 The Key Largo Marine Sanctuary and the Biscayne National Monument do prohibit 

 such taking thereby providing a precedent for such action. 



A prohibition on collecting (marine life fishing) would not 

 require the construction of an administratively burdensome permit and 

 monitoring system for commercial collecting. Instead, it would utilize 

 the already existing system designed for issuing a limited number of 

 permits for scientific and educational purposes, that has been established 

 for the Key Largo Marine Sanctuary. 



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