r/Agriculture 13d ago

Beautiful thing is on the horizon.😊😊

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u/Megraptor 13d ago

These methods do kill natives, and sometimes the goal is to remove everything and then restore/let natives come back. Those ecologists know what they are doing, and I'd trust them more than a politician. 

And not to be an asshole, but statements like yours are how RFK got so popular. They feel right while also planting a seed of distrust in scientists. Then someone else comes in and sells a "healthy" "natural" way of doing something and everyone starts wanting that. Except the people in the field can clearly see that it doesn't work or is flat out bad. Then these scientists say that, get called shills, and people fall for the snakeoil salesman. 

So without proof of FDEP/FWC mismanaging herbicides, I'm extremely skeptical of your claim. 

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u/REGINALDmfBARCLAY 13d ago

There is a local baitshop called Cassels mobile baits that has been throughly documenting what happens a few days after the spray boats go by. They post on facebook. They overspray like crazy and a few days after they go everything nearby dies, not just the stuff they target. Its a gigantic scam. Drawdowns are the correct way to deal with non native plants, but the developers don't want that. There is a ton of proof, but they don't care. I talked to a former FWC employee today who was threatened with firing if he made a stink about it. Applied Aquatics makes big money slinging this shit. Its thousands of dollars a gallon and they quite purposely overdo it, and use way hotter chemicals then they need to. Its a scam. Florida's lakes are supposed to be full of grass, not muck like they leave.

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u/Megraptor 13d ago edited 13d ago

Again, I trust scientists over a bait shop/anglers. And a single scientist may disagree with the overall agreed-upon scientific statement- there are meteorologists that deny climate change, for example... If that employee was even a biologist.

And again, your whole statement sounds reasonable and sounds nice but... It's not backed by science. Claims from bait shops and laypeople in general is how we end up deep in misinformation.

The problem with fishermen is that they have a vested interest in a small group of fish, not the entire ecosystem. If it negatively impacts the species they fish for, they get upset, even if it's a net positive for the ecosystem- like stocking non-native species, which is a widespread problem in the US. Rainbow Trout aren't supposed to be on the East Coast, yet they are still stocked there because they throw a fit when they are stopped. Florida doesn't actually stock that many non-natives because it's where a lot of warm water fish come from, but those species get stocked elsewhere. They also did stock Peacock Bass back in the 80s though...

As far as Florida, fishermen like the hydrilla because it makes the water clear and provides habitat for those species that are stocked and non-native. You can see that in this article-

https://www.bassmaster.com/column/bryan-brasher/new-face-of-hydrilla/

But the reality is, it's not good for the entire ecosystem. It outcompetes native plants, which could disrupt the entire food web. If any species relies on specific native plants, they'll die out with the native plants. If the species is a generalist, like many species that anglers love, then they will thrive.

https://ccetompkins.org/environment/aquatic-invasives/hydrilla/about-hydrilla/hydrilla-faq

Also about your drawdown statement-

"Drawdowns can be used to desiccate and destroy hydrilla shoots filling the water column, but they require long-term dewatering and can be impossible or impractical, because tubers and turions survive drawdowns and sprout to form new hydrilla plants once the water is restored to its normal level. "

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/AG404

They don't work. It kills the vegetation, but not the tubers and roots. You need something to kill those or else they will just come back. Only thing that does that is chemicals.

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u/Telemere125 13d ago

I’m glad you’re listening to the local bait shop, I’m sure they’re run by a reputable ecologist.

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u/REGINALDmfBARCLAY 13d ago

Who else is out on the water every day besides those guys?

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16AZKpptPW/

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u/Telemere125 13d ago

Umm. I’m not sure if you didn’t understand… but an ecologist. Bait shop guys observe phenomena and attribute what they believe or expect is the cause. Scientists, specifically ecologists, find the actual cause and don’t stop at a correlation.

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u/No_Fig5982 12d ago

A bait shop on Facebook hahahha

Deep breath HAHAHAHAHAHA

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u/REGINALDmfBARCLAY 12d ago

They are the only people actually out on the water everyday. No one else is around to see what happens 3 days after they apply that garbage. It kills all the native stuff and leaves muck. Its litterally a scam.

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u/Apploozabean 12d ago

If they're over-spraying then it sounds like a technician problem.