The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a state agency that protects natural habitats, is facing growing scrutiny over its leadership and potential conflicts of interest.
FWC chairman Rodney Barreto, a Miami developer and lobbyist, stands at the center of the controversy. Barreto’s push to build condos on submerged seagrass habitats has sparked the debate over whether Florida’s wildlife is being protected or sold off.
For UM students, the stakes are close to home.
Rosenstiel researchers and students regularly use Biscayne Bay, nearby seagrass beds and South Florida’s coral reefs as living laboratories. FWC decisions on manatee protections, fishing restriction or reef restoration ripple directly into their classrooms and dive sites.
“These decisions shape not only our education and research, but the future of the environment we all live in,” said Lily Jansen, a sophomore majoring in marine biology.
Faculty echo that concern, expressing that these developments put many species at risk.
“Coastal habitats like mangroves and seagrasses are critically important for fisheries and coastal economies,” said Dr. Elizabeth Babcock, professor of marine biology and ecology at UM’s Rosenstiel School. “Many species of fish use mangroves or seagrass as juveniles before they move out into deeper water as adults and become available to commercial and recreational fisheries. Every loss of mangroves and seagrass means fewer groupers, snappers and sharks on the reefs.”
Earlier this year, Barreto denied under oath that he had ever attempted to build on submerged land near Singer Island in Palm Beach County, later telling The Miami Herald he had no plans to build there and would sell the property.
Yet The Florida Phoenix reported that in 2021, Barreto and his wife, through their company Government Lot 1 LLC, filed a proposal to clear four acres of seagrass and fill 12.2 acres of submerged land off of Singer Island.
Environmentalists warned that this project — which called for condominiums, single-family homes and a marina — would destroy vital habitats for manatees, juvenile sea turtles and horseshoe crabs.
Although the project was withdrawn after environmental objections, Government Lot 1 LLC later pursued legal action to revive it. No construction has taken place, though disputes over the land’s zoning remain ongoing.
The controversy has fueled petitions, social media campaigns and public meetings demanding reform at the FWC.
One of the most visible efforts is filmmaker Brent Fannin’s 2024 documentary “Gopher Games: The Fight to Save the Heart of Florida” which links unchecked development to the decline of gopher tortoises and other species. A petition tied to the film has drawn more than 6,000 signatures, calling for stricter ethical rules for FWC commissioners.
“Younger generations are much more in tune with what’s going on around them as they grew up with the internet,” Fannin told the Hurricane. “They were promised paradise and have been given poison instead.” He added that reform should begin with requiring qualifications for commissioners.
That concern resonates at UM, where faculty stress the importance of expertise in conservation decisions.
“Scientists, including those who work for FWC, play an important role in conducting surveys, tracking changes in abundance and recommending management actions based on data,” said Babcock. “Without that kind of expertise, decisions risk being driven more by politics than science.”
Recent commission votes have amplified criticism. On Aug. 13, the FWC unanimously approved Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade, set for December, with a quota of 187 bears. Conservation groups denounced the decision as political rather than science-based.
The agency also advocated a toll road through Split Oak Forest near Orlando, home to gopher tortoises and Florida scrub-jays, despite widespread public opposition and pending lawsuits from environmental groups.
Critics argue that the board’s makeup, which is dominated by business and development figures — including Barreto, Albert Maury, a Miami real estate executive, and Gary Nicklaus, a Palm Beach businessman and former professional golfer — undermines its conservation mission.
Frustration has also spilled over online. During a public meeting earlier this year, when pressed about conflicts of interest, Barreto responded, “I don’t need to answer to you.”
The exchange spread widely on Instagram, where user @jem0276 commented, “You DO answer to us!!!! You’re a public official. You are supposed to serve the interest of the PEOPLE, not your pocket.” The comment drew more than 1,300 likes.
The Hurricane reached out to all seven commissioners for comment. At the time of publication, none have responded.