Misguided people often ask government for more
regulations to protect Florida's coral reefs. Government does not prevent
destruction of coral reefs, it aids destruction. Abuse results from soggy
socialism's "tragedy of the commons" - the neglect that results to any resource
that is not protected by private property rights. "Public" (state)
ownership of large bodies of water has long defeated reef aquaculture and
other undersea farming along with its abundant ecology. Socialism has
been as environmentally disastrous underwater as it has been on land.
The only way to correct the mess is with property rights.
Private property rights would encourage reef owners to increase reef size
and reproduction through aquaculture and scientifically assisted reproduction
and growth. Private property rights in water will create profit incentives
for construction of better reefs for commercial scuba diving and to improve
commercial fishing and paid recreational fishing.
Contrary to environmentalist hysteria, it is easy to make
frames to cultivate man-made reefs that grow faster and live better than
natural reefs. Sophisticated structures for artificial reefs have been built
at Eilat, Israel. Even near Key Largo, reefs have been built the old-fashioned
way - by sinking obsolete ships.
Government ownership of saltwater floors does not allow
commercial reef construction. Even if it was allowed, there would be no profit
incentive for doing so, so long as government owned the area.
Environmentalists ignore the idea of private property
rights in reefs. If the first agricultural farmers had consulted modern
reef experts, they would have been advised that private property in land
would not work. Self-proclaimed environmentalists purchase farmed fish and
other farmed food and never see any hypocrisy between their daily economic
decisions and their attitude toward reef areas. Environmentalists swallow
underwater socialism hook, line and sinker.
Most editorials are hardly any better, as they parrot
the typical marine commentary in television, radio or print. It is
a constant whine, "if only there were more regulations," "if only there
were more law enforcement officers." It is such a gestapo drone it
is a comedy, made funnier by the complete blindness to the only meaningful
alternative: private property rights and free market economics.
The duty of government is to recognize and protect property
rights in all things, wet or dry. Littoral and riparian rights, ancient
laws recognizing property rights in oceans and rivers, have never waded far
from shore. Water rights are old enough to dive deep, if the law does
not drown them. There is no reason why private property rights should
end at the water's edge.