Federal
NOAA Fisheries, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, your U.S. Senators and Representative
Open a lawful, monitored pilot pathway and publish the decision.
Policy change
A lawful federal pathway for selective, monitored collection of documented shoreward-bound Sargassum.
Build a united public voice demanding a lawful federal pathway for selective, monitored collection of shoreward-bound Sargassum before it reaches shallow ecosystems, beaches, canals, homes and businesses.
Jurisdiction
Who has authority where
The reason communities clean up after the damage instead of intercepting before it is a boundary line and a harvest prohibition — not a lack of will.
| Zone | Extent | Authority | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| State waters — Atlantic Florida | Shoreline to 3 nautical miles | State of Florida (FDEP, FWC, county and municipal permits) | Beach and canal removal happens here today, at municipal expense, after the damage is done. [S03] Florida Department of Environmental Protection[S04] NOAA Office of Coast Survey |
| State waters — Gulf Florida | Shoreline to 9 nautical miles | State of Florida | The wider Gulf boundary means a Gulf pathway must be designed separately from the Atlantic pilot. [S03] Florida Department of Environmental Protection[S04] NOAA Office of Coast Survey |
| Federal waters — South Atlantic | Seaward of state waters to 200 nautical miles | NOAA Fisheries / South Atlantic Fishery Management Council | Pelagic Sargassum harvest is prohibited south of the NC/SC boundary. This is the barrier the campaign asks to open — narrowly, with safeguards. |
| Federal waters — north of NC/SC line | Seaward of state waters | NOAA Fisheries | Harvest is tightly limited by area, season, observer coverage, gear and annual weight — proof that a controlled, conditioned pathway is possible. |
The ask
Exactly what we are requesting
- An Atlantic pilot seaward of Florida's three-nautical-mile state-water boundary.
- A separately designed Gulf pathway beyond the nine-nautical-mile boundary.
- Collection only of documented shoreward-bound accumulations — never dispersed, healthy offshore habitat.
- Independent observers, wildlife safeguards and published bycatch results.
- Transparent public reporting of tonnage, cost, ecological monitoring and outcomes.
What we are not asking for
- We are not asking to strip the Sargasso Sea.
- We are not asking to harvest living offshore habitat for profit.
- We are not asking to weaken protections for turtles, juvenile fish or endemic species.
- We are not asking anyone to choose between wildlife and communities.
How it gets done
A five-step monitored pilot
Every step already exists somewhere in federal practice. Nothing here requires inventing a new legal instrument.
- 01
Exempted Fishing Permit or research authorization
NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Region already issues EFPs and Letters of Acknowledgement for activity otherwise prohibited. That is the existing legal door for a monitored pilot.
- 02
Trigger-based authorization
Collection is authorized only when satellite, drift-model and in-water observation confirm a shoreward-bound accumulation at AMBER stage.
[S01] University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Laboratory
- 03
Observer-verified operations
Independent observers aboard, full catch and bycatch documentation, and a hard stop when wildlife protocol thresholds are exceeded.
- 04
Public reporting
Tonnage, positions, bycatch, cost, disposal or beneficial use, and monitoring results published in a public dataset.
- 05
Scale or stop
Independent scientific review decides whether the pathway is expanded, conditioned further or closed. The pilot must be able to fail publicly.
The pledge
What you are signing
I call on NOAA Fisheries and its partners to create a lawful pathway for selective, monitored collection of documented shoreward-bound Sargassum in federal waters before it reaches shallow ecosystems and communities. I support an Atlantic pilot seaward of Florida's three-nautical-mile state-water boundary, a separately designed Gulf pathway beyond the nine-nautical-mile boundary, strong wildlife safeguards and transparent public results.
Ladder
Take me to your leader
State
Governor, state legislators, environmental protection and wildlife agencies
Fund monitoring, back the federal pilot request and coordinate response.
County
County commission, emergency management, public works
Pass a resolution, publish removal cost data and join the coalition.
Municipal
Mayor, city commission, beach and canal operations
Report tonnage and cost publicly, and sign on as an official partner.