By Tory Boyd
Floridians are in favor of stricter regulation for sea turtle conservation, according to a recent survey conducted by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education.
Lighting ordinances enforced along Florida’s coastlines regulate the amount of artificial light during sea turtle nesting season to prevent hatchlings from wandering into residential or commercial areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
According to the PIE Center’s study, 74 percent of respondents agreed with the light restriction policies and 65 percent of them agreed that the lighting restrictions should even be strengthened.
The PIE Center’s online survey of 499 Florida residents revealed that the public strongly values the protection of endangered species. The deep feelings show that statewide outreach efforts might be working, according to PIE Center Director Tracy Irani.
“There has been a lot of information in the media, education plans, special interest groups and public education efforts in the schools about the endangered species in Florida,” Irani said. “As Floridians, most of us have the experience of being on a beach and seeing those signs about sea turtles nesting, and I think those are experiences that resonate.”
With sea turtles in particular, Irani said the survey’s results are especially interesting because people were found to be more likely to avoid behaviors harmful to endangered species than they were to actively do something to protect them.
“Turning off the lights require you to take some kind of action, unlike elsewhere in the study where people were more prone to be willing to engage in environmental conservation behaviors that require less direct effort,” Irani said. “In this case, it takes a little bit of effort to make sure your lights are shut off.”
Even though the study showed the majority of Floridians believe lighting restrictions should be strengthened, beaches in cities as large as Fort Lauderdale are reviewing their current light standards in an attempt to balance resident safety and sea turtle conservation. Residents in Fort Lauderdale believe the beach has gotten too dark and the current regulations raise safety concerns, according to a local news report.
Just to the north, however, in Palm Beach County, officials are pushing for cities to extend lighting restrictions further inland to account for bright areas such as car dealerships and football stadiums.
The state of Florida’s guidelines for adhering to the lighting ordinance can be read in detail here.
