All bottom fishing prohibited.

[Destroyer]

Why do I get the feeling that the "fisheries management" people have no real clue as to what is going on? In the northeast it's the Fluke population that is the spotted owl, although from all indications the biomass of this species is greater than it's been for the past 10 years... Now they've set their sights on Black Sea Bass and Weakfish. In all cases I personally think that if they would just BAN commercial fishing of these species there would be no problems. Instead it's the recreational fisherman that takes it in the neck while the commercial fisheries continue to get larger and larger quota's. Damn them all!!

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

Why do I get the feeling that the "fisheries management" people have no real clue as to what is going on? In the northeast it's the Fluke population that is the spotted owl, although from all indications the biomass of this species is greater than it's been for the past 10 years... Now they've set their sights on Black Sea Bass and Weakfish. In all cases I personally think that if they would just BAN commercial fishing of these species there would be no problems. Instead it's the recreational fisherman that takes it in the neck while the commercial fisheries continue to get larger and larger quota's. Damn them all!!

When the agencies that allocate who can catch what are part of the department of commerce, it will ALWAYS go the commercial way since they are a commercial agency for commercial harvesting. Florida gets it dry yet again. If it aint the oil on one side, it's the fisheries management on the other side.

[tsubaki]

I just never expected the fisheries management to come to this.
With the failure of all the regulations and education using circle hooks, barbless J hooks, proper handling and deflating requirements, besides the catch sizes, limits and seasons, seems there should have of been other alternatives (which escape my limited education) besides completely closing down an entire environment.

PETA, I'm sure is proud of the SAFMC.

Well, if all this pans out and succeeds, seems the next best thing would to rotate the closure area locations year to year. However they haven't yet announced this.


You guys not affected by this........
take a good look and remember.
Could be coming to your home port soon.
The precedent has been made.

[Destroyer]

If you look closely at what the fisheries management councils around the country are doing, how they are going about their tasks, what the end results are and where they seem to be leading us, I firmly believe that their final goal (unstated to be sure, but their goal nevertheless) is nothing less than the complete closure of the ocean to all recreational fishing. It's just one more method of controling us. If the only place you can get fish is from a store, and they control who is able to get those fish from the oceans, then who do they wind up controlling?

If you control a persons health, (Healthcare) and their money, (Government takeover of banks) and their food, (looks like they're working on that one)........The end result will be you needing Big Brother to even live.

BAH..... There's that silly conspiracy theory person inside of me talking again... my country would never do that to it's citizens....

[tsubaki]

There is a very fine line difference between citizens and subjects. Strangely enough it seems that today's voting public would prefer the latter.
And very oddly, there are only brief mentions of this subject around the fishing forums.
I just expected these people that manage this stuff to already to have the right answers.
My ignorance is obviously showing again.

[tsubaki]

Well, so much for the conspiracy theory.
Note the dates and outcome.
(sorry this has no other basis)


SHIMANO AMERICAN CORPORATION News Release



For Immediate Release ***8211; 10/5/09

FEDS TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN ANGLERS:
WE DON***8217;T NEED YOU

IRVINE, Calif. USA ***8211; October 5, 2009 ***8211; A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of ***8216;protecting***8217; these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009.
Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, ***8220;In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim ***8211; the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored.***8221;
Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades.
In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. ***8220;There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state ***8211; an environmental success story that has no equal in the world***8221;, said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. ***8220;The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail,***8221; added Morlock.
Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, ***8220;Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties.***8221;
The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, ***8220;consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea***8221; - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified.
***8220;We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty,***8221; said Pfeiffer.
The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated.
***8220;This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product,***8221; said Morlock. ***8220;People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government,***8221; he added.
Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues.
E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting KeepAmericanFishing.org. The future of fishing is in your hands.

###

Editor***8217;s Note: Phil Morlock is attending Congressional Sportsmen***8217;s Caucus functions this week in Washington, DC, but will make himself available for questions, interviews on this. Contact John Mazurkiewicz with Catalyst Marketing for arrangements.

[tsubaki]

Well (unofficially), we got 6 months before this takes place.