CLEWISTON — Lake Okeechobee area residents who oppose the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s use of chemical herbicides to control invasive aquatic vegetation on the big lake will gather protest on Feb. 22 on the Herbert Hoover Dike, 600 Hoover Dike Road in Clewiston.

The demonstration will start at 8 a.m.

Guest speakers will take the podium at 10 a.m. Speakers include professional fishermen, biologists, environmentalists and others. Scheduled speakers include Scott Martin, Brandon Metlock, Chris Wittman of Captains for Clean Water, Scott Wilson, retired turtle farmer Jim Watt, Alan Stewart, Steve Godley, Michael Lindel, Virgil Lindsey, Cody Duncan and Vik Chhabra. Also scheduled to speak are representatives from the Sierra Club, Everglades Trust and Texas Aquatics.

Volunteers will provide free airboat rides so those in attendance can see the conditions firsthand.

The controversial Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) policy of using chemical herbicides to control invasive aquatic plants has drawn complaints from boaters and fishermen for years. In early 2019, after more than more than 176,000 people signed the “Stop the State-Sanctioned Poisoning of Our Lakes and Rivers” petition on change.org.