The latest Source poll proved to be the most complex thus far, both in terms of the array of responses and, as it turns out, in posing the question and possible answers.
As V.I. National Park Superintendent John King pointed out in an address earlier this week to the League of Women Voters, the designation of undersea lands as national monuments means, by definition, that only an act of Congress would allow fishing in those areas. Barring that, any management plan bans fishing, making responses No. 2 and No. 3 at best extremely difficult to carry out.
At the same time, King said that bait-fishing in Hurricane Hole and hard-nose fishing on St. John's South Shore would be allowed, perhaps giving those who chose response No. 3 their wish.
King also noted that the total area designated as national monuments constitutes only about 1 percent of all V.I. territorial waters and four percent of shelf areas – hardly a well-publicized fact and one that presumably might have tilted the results one way or another.
That said, what is clear from Source readers' responses is that opinions on the matter cover the spectrum from whole-hearted approval to disapproval. For example, while 55.5 percent of respondents were happy with the decision, those who felt at least some fishing should be allowed or that the designation should be overturned – adding together response Nos. 2, 3 and 4 – came to 44.5 percent, a sizable minority.
In the same vein, on St. John alone those against the designation as is (a total of 13) outweigh those fully behind it (11). An interesting result, given St. John's identification with the V.I. National Park and conservation in general. But the relatively small number of total respondents from the island means that a single vote one way or another skews the sample.
The full text of former President Clinton's proclamations can be read on the St. Croix Source at Buck Island National Monument Proclamation and on the St. John Source at Coral Reef National Monument Proclamation. The St. Thomas Source also includes the Coral Reef National Monument Proclamation.
Here are the numbers:
Question: What should be done regarding the Clinton administration's designation of undersea lands off St. Croix and St. John as national monuments?
1. Nothing — it was the right thing to do.
STT (119) STX (88) STJ (11); Total (218), 55.5 percent of all respondents.
2. Develop a management plan that allows fishing at current levels.
STT (10) STX (18) STJ (1); Total (29), 7.4 percent of all respondents.
3. Develop a management plan that allows limited fishing using traditional methods.
STT (59) STX (36) STJ (10); Total (105), 26.7 percent of all respondents.
4. Urge the Bush administration to overturn the designation.
STT (20) STX (19) STJ (2); Total (41), 10.4 percent of all respondents.
