Quote:
Originally Posted by sandy  Jack,
Isn't it amazing that fishermen don't care about others wanting to prohibit fishing? Fishermen will wake up one day and find they can't fish. Nice try Jack but don't waste your time with people who are brain dead! I did an informal survey with a few dozen very active recreational fishermen this summer and not a one had any idea of Pew's programs. Pew has been responsible for the closure of 20% of the the fishing waters in California and 1200 miles of reefs in South Carolina plus much more. When the fishermen wake up it is already too late. They will never hear the one that will hit them. Just let them sleep. Pew now rules NOAA and the EPA and are major movers and shakers at the state levels. They are unstopable. Have you noticed the THT does not have a forum to keep viewers up to date on fisheries management? Who cares. |
I do!
Look, I have lived in Florida since I was 8. I watched our fishing being ruined by the mullet netters and commercial boats all through the 70's. Finally, in 1990 I joined FCA and with the help of Florida Sportsman magazine and editor Karl Wickstrom; along with concerned citizens, those netters were banned from using gill nets in State waters.
MY contribution you may ask...
Dozens of pictures of dead rotting mullet dumped at our local ramps. Yeah, those conservation minded mullet netters thought nobody cared if they gutted them for the $2 lb roe and dumped the .20c lb mullet. They did it right at our feet...at our ramps.
Those pictures got published and soon after the b@stards lost their right to continue to decimate mullet, snook, redfish, trout and whatever else ended up in those gill nets. You literally had to have a FFC officer watching them to keep them from keeping by catch...
How about those huge schools of mackerel they used to gill, using spotter planes and the like...no more of that waste either.
So, today I am a member of the CCA...no longer have a FCA, they merged. I supported them and attended the latest banquet where tens of thousands of dollars were raised to continue our efforts..scored a nice pair of Star offshore rods while there...
Anyway, we need to continue to keep up the good fight. Support where and how you can...
Here is a copy of an email from our Florida Senator..
Calling for Review of Restrictions on Florida Recreational Fishermen Recreational fishing is a huge part of Florida's economy and way of life. Floridians have adhered to fishing limits, but now, federal officials are trying to change the regulations without listening to the communities most impacted. NOAA has placed new restrictions and early season closures on the Grouper, Snapper, and Amberjack fisheries, significantly impacting recreational fishermen. Before we create a new policy, there needs to be more discussion, review, and public input. Last week, I received a commitment from the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Dr. Jane Lubchenco, that she will appoint a senior policy advisor to improve relations between NOAA and the recreational fishing community. The federal government also needs to review how it determines the appropriate restrictions. I have serious concerns about the information the National Marine Fisheries Service is using to set new fishing restrictions and closures. I have heard from fishermen in Florida who believe the information is not accurate and in fact they are seeing an abundance of fish compared to other years. Click the video below to see excerpts from the Commerce Committee hearing on this matter. 
Help save our fishing rights *urgent* 
