Dear Source:
David Olsen made some valid points in his resignation letter as Director of Fish and Wildlife and in his letter to the Source. Unfortunately, the points did not support a coherent argument. Also, his resorting to name-calling–"continental enviros"– was not constructive.
The people who advocate preserving the environmental beauty of the islands and work to see our coral reefs preserved do not deserve to be insulted. These are the people who are truly worried about the world our children will inherit.
Yes, no one wants to see people have to change their trades, but it does happen sometimes. It would have been better if Mr. Olsen could have cited real management steps taken by the fishermen and facts showing that the local fishery is not being hurt, as many residents of St. Croix perceive it being hurt. Mr. Olsen's argument seems to be that some fishermen have come up with a very efficient way to harvest fish, and therefore, it is their God-given right to do so, no matter what the damage is to the environment.
Most people, including myself, would agree with Mr. Olsen that gillnet fishing is not the only problem facing our coral reefs; it probably isn't even the major problem facing the reefs. All residents of the Virgin Islands are going to have to work together to solve those problems.
Don Buchanan
St. Croix
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
