Dear Source:
In response to Dr. Olsen's latest comments regarding the ban of gill net fishing on St. Croix, his words do not address various laws that are being ignored. When Dr. Olsen was the director of fish and wildlife, his staff openly asked about such federal laws as the endangered species act, and the endangered species accidental take permit. In numerous instances Dr. Olsen asked fish and wildlife experts in these areas to stay silent regarding these matters. Also, Dr. Olsen has no regard for the Virgin Islands law which was passed just before he took over his position which banned gill nets from the territory.
If he had gone to meetings with the fisherman and concerned citizens before he was appointed director of fish and wildlife, he would understand that DPNR enforcement stated that it would be impossible to enforce a partial ban on gill nets. This issue has been addressed for many years before Dr. Olsen came back into public office.
Also, there were direct orders to DPNR enforcement to break the laws put in place. For instance, when a gill net was placed off of Frederiksted beach, trapping snorkelers and scuba divers from getting back to shore, it was determined by DPNR that the fisherman did not have a current fishing license. These fishermen were given a warning by DPNR enforcement and were allowed to renew their fishing license. What is funny about this is that there is a law in place prohibiting any new commercial fishing licenses, and the men are not one of the 9 registered gill netters. How does this happen?
Dr. Olsen has no regard for the law. As the gill net law continues to be unenforced, this small group that does the research to represent a large part of the population will continue to challenge the public officials to follow the laws that are written for the territory and our nation.
Derrick Hill
St. Croix
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