there, that affects us all tremendously,” Wittman said. He said most of the supporters are from Florida, but they have some who are following from all around the world. “We’ve made huge progress in raising awareness and getting people engaged” Wittman said. A Florida native, Wittman is a Coast Guard licensed Master Captain, born and raised on Sanibel Island. He offers fishing charters from north Florida down to the keys. Wittman recently gave a presentation the Reel Anglers of Cape Coral on the issues facing the estuaries of South Florida. He spoke to more than 100 anglers in the area. After speaking with hundreds of people, Wittman realized many people didn’t understand the importance of the Everglades, and how the flow of water throughout the state affects our fisheries. Environmental groups have struggled for decades to get this done. Anglers and fishing guides are heavily impacted by the faults in Florida’s water management system, but have never organized and spoken up about this issue. From the unnatural Lake Okeechobee discharges to the man-made hyper saline conditions and seagrass die-offs in Florida Bay, Florida’s fisheries have taken a beating in the past two years. The excess nutrients in Lake Okeechobee discharge water to fuel toxic algae blooms in our marine (salt and freshwater) environments. The nutrients also have the potential to aggravate an already-present red tide organism. These recurring fresh water discharges can create two deadly options for marine life in our estuaries: Die in the fresh water discharge or be washed out to sea into a supercharged red tide bloom. Top photo: Representatives for Captains for Clean Water speak to civic organizations in Lee County. Above: In February, Capt. Chris Wittman and Wyler Gins of Captains for Clean Water had the opportunity to educate 80 second graders at Heights Elementary School in Fort Myers. Below: The excess nutrients in Lake Okeechobee discharge water to fuel toxic algae blooms in our marine (salt and freshwater) environments. July/August 2017 GASPARILLA ISLAND 73
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