The federal government shutdown also has shut down popular fishing waters in the Florida Keys.
Fishing guides were notified this week that the 281-square-mile Biscayne National Park would be closed until further notice. Most of that park is comprised of water.
Everglades National Park also was closed, putting almost all of Florida Bay off limits. In an email, Park Superintendent Dan Kimball said the closure applies to fishing guides, kayakers and pleasure boaters.
Dave Fowler, who heads the park's Key Largo ranger station, told The Key West Citizen that rangers will enforce the closure but will focus on educating violators about the situation. He said that during the last government shutdown in 1995, rangers in the Key Largo district didn't write a single ticket for violating the closure.
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