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Has anyone heard about this ?
Culled out
Public input period for federal fishery strategy has ended
This is a column from Robert Montgomery for ESPN Outdoors. As a Senior Writer for BASS Publications, Montgomery has written about conservation, environment, and access issues for more than two decades. It's part of a series of articles from Montgomery on the issue.
The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters.
That's a disappointment, but not really a surprise for fishing industry insiders who have negotiated for months with officials at the Council on Environmental Quality and bureaucrats on the task force. These angling advocates have come to suspect that public input into the process was a charade from the beginning.
"When the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) completed their successful campaign to convince the Ontario government to end one of the best scientifically managed big game hunts in North America (spring bear), the results of their agenda had severe economic impacts on small family businesses and the tourism economy of communities across northern and central Ontario," said Phil Morlock, director of environmental affairs for Shimano.
"Now we see NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the administration planning the future of recreational fishing access in America based on a similar agenda of these same groups and other Big Green anti-use organizations, through an Executive Order by the President. The current U.S. direction with fishing is a direct parallel to what happened in Canada with hunting: The negative economic impacts on hard working American families and small businesses are being ignored.
"In spite of what we hear daily in the press about the President's concern for jobs and the economy and contrary to what he stated in the June order creating this process, we have seen no evidence from NOAA or the task force that recreational fishing and related jobs are receiving any priority."
Consequently, unless anglers speak up and convince their Congressional representatives to stop this bureaucratic freight train, it appears that the task force will issue a final report for "marine spatial planning" by late March, with President Barack Obama then issuing an Executive Order to implement its recommendations — whatever they may be.
Led by NOAA's Jane Lubchenco, the task force has shown no overt dislike of recreational angling, but its indifference to the economic, social and biological value of the sport has been deafening.
Additionally, Lubchenco and others in the administration have close ties to environmental groups who would like nothing better than to ban recreational angling. And evidence suggests that these organizations have been the engine behind the task force since before Obama issued a memo creating it last June.
As ESPN previously reported, WWF, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Pew Environment Group and others produced a document entitled "Transition Green" shortly after Obama was elected in 2008. What has happened since suggests that the task force has been in lockstep with that position paper.
Then in late summer, just after he created the task force, these groups produced "Recommendations for the Adoption and Implementation of an Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes National Policy." This document makes repeated references to "overfishing," but doesn't once reference recreational angling, its importance, and its benefits, both to participants and the resource.
Additionally, some of these same organizations have revealed their anti-fishing bias by playing fast and loose with "facts," in attempts to ban tackle containing lead in the United States and Canada.
That same tunnel vision, in which recreational angling and commercial fishing are indiscriminately lumped together as harmful to the resource, has persisted with the task force, despite protests by the angling industry.
As more evidence of collusion, the green groups began clamoring for an Executive Order to implement the task force's recommendations even before the public comment period ended in February. Fishing advocates had no idea that this was coming.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, the New York Times reported on Feb. 12 that "President Obama and his team are preparing an array of actions using his executive power to advance energy, environmental, fiscal and other domestic policy priorities."
"Conflicts (user) are overstated and problems are manufactured. It's all just an excuse to put us off the water."
In the wake of the task force's framework document, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) and its partners in the U.S. Recreational Fishing & Boating Coalition against voiced their concerns to the administration.
"Some of the potential policy implications of this interim framework have the potential to be a real threat to recreational anglers who not only contribute billions of dollars to the economy and millions of dollars in tax revenues to support fisheries conservation, but who are also the backbone of the American fish and wildlife conservation ethic," said CSF President Jeff Crane.
Morlock, a member of the CSF board, added, "There are over one million jobs in America supported coast to coast by recreational fishing. The task force has not included any accountability requirements in their reports for evaluating or mitigating how the new policies they are drafting will impact the fishing industry or related economies.
"Given that the scope of this process appears to include a new set of policies for all coastal and inland waters of the United States, the omission of economic considerations is inexcusable."
This is not the only access issue threatening the public's right to fish, but it definitely is the most serious, according to Chris Horton, national conservation director for BASS.
"With what's being created, the same principles could apply inland as apply to the oceans," he said. "Under the guise of 'marine spatial planning' entire watersheds could be shut down, even 2,000 miles up a river drainage from the ocean.
"Every angler needs to be aware because if it's not happening in your backyard today or tomorrow, it will be eventually.
"We have one of the largest voting blocks in the country and we need to use it. We must not sit idly by."
This is an opinion column from Robert Montgomery. As a Senior Writer for BASS Publications, Montgomery has written about conservation, environment, and access issues for more than two decades.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jon Sessler on -
How is that "Hope and Change" working for everyone?
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Permalink Reply by cody hampton on -
You know what im gonna say might make people mad, but o well, Obama is a piece of s!@t president who hasnt done a dam thing right since he got elected, he sucks and needs to be moved out of office.
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Permalink Reply by BigBass Dez on -
Cody the great thing about freedom of speech is that "who cares if someone gets pissed off" ..haha
I feel ya bro ! This freaking sucks , The whole going green solution is getting waaaay out of hand !! If it comes to a point in this nation that i can no longer fish , Honestly i dont know what kind actions that im capable of displaying , I just pray to god that im not put in that situation for as long as i walk this earth !!!! After reading this article i dam near teared up !!
cody hampton said:You know what im gonna say might make people mad, but o well, Obama is a piece of s!@t president who hasnt done a dam thing right since he got elected, he sucks and needs to be moved out of office.
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Permalink Reply by Aaron Christel on -
It's working as the commies planed. I HOPE I still have a job in a year and am thinking that I may have to CHANGE to living off the government at some point.
Jon Sessler said:How is that "Hope and Change" working for everyone?
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Permalink Reply by Jon Sessler on
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Jon Sessler said:How is that "Hope and Change" working for everyone?
Now my real reply:
This is what we have touched on several times on this forum that some people get, some don't, and some don't care. This is another avenue, that the Environmental, Anti-Gun, Anti-Hunting, and Animal Rights groups use to attack us. They don't assault on one front, they assault on all fronts, their objective is to make progress in one area, and move on to the next, as they elimnate their foes. Once they diminish their oppositon by one, they move on to the next.
As myself and many others on this site have stressed, they will not rest, therefore we as sportsmen cannot rest, and they will not quit until they have reached their objective. This isn't the end of this, the lead debate, or numerous other issues that affect us, this is the beginning of their objectives.
For example, if they can't get fishing banned:
1. Ban Access - If they cant get this done.
2. Ban Gas Motors - If they can't get this done.
3. Ban Tackle - If they can't get this done
4. Limit the Season - If they can't get this done
5. Make the regulations so cumbersome no one can understand them
and so on.....
It's a sad to think that we may see public access denied to sportfishermen in our lifetime, but it could happen unless we get involved, and organized.
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Permalink Reply by Phil Mehrtens on -
This is what happens when you have nonsportsmen running things.We are at the mercy of political agendas. I "HOPE" YOU DONT MIND ME AND MY DEMOCRAT FRIENDS "CHANGING" YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!This whole "going green" thing is a big load of bullshit.hell no iam not giving up my guns or my fishing pole they can go f themselves!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Higgins on -
Ted Nugent for president!
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Permalink Reply by Phil Mehrtens on
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WORD!!!!!!!
Kevin Higgins said:Ted Nugent for president!
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Permalink Reply by BigBass Dez on
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Okay wait a minute , During obama's campaign he suggested that he would support animal rights ! Then he turns around a got a dog for his family ! Well that goes against the animal rights activists who believe that pet ownership is immoral and a form of slavery !
So what gives here ? He can keep his dog , but i may have to give up my rods ?
I would like to see or hear his personal direct and clearly stated words that indicates "His" Objective with going green will possibly bann RECREATION FISHING . Before i go and start pointing fingers and getting pissed based on a topic that is near and dear to me , I would like it to atleast be based on Facts !
Regardless if you supported all of President Bush decisions or not , I know for a fact that he supports B.A.S.S , and even went as far as fishing with Mr. Ray scott from time to time .
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Permalink Reply by Gary Morris on -
Below is a copy of the letter that I just sent off to President Obama. This is a letter written by Mike Nussman, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. Free to use it and modify it as you wish. Just add in your company or organizations information.
Sportsmen, you all need to get out there and vote. We must stand together and be heard. We must do this so that we don't let the extremists dictate what we can or can't do. If we sit idly by we will surely lose all of our outdoor rights including hunting and fishing!
We must speak as though we are one voice!
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As a member of the nation’s recreational fishing industry, I am writing to stress that outdoor recreation, and recreational fishing and boating in particular, be recognized and promoted in a national ocean, coastal and Great Lakes management policy. Recreational fishing and boating are distinct activities that have a significant – and measurable - impact on employment, the economy and quality of life in the United States. We must do all we can to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy our nation’s natural resources.
The Washington State Bass Federation is based in Washington State. We are a multi-award winning, non-profit, family organization with a strong focus on promoting conservation policies and improving ecological environmental conditions at state, regional and national levels. We also encouragement of youth fishing through community wide programs, tournaments, and events.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, saltwater anglers alone contribute over $82 billion annually to our nation’s economy and support more than 500,000 jobs. Through the federal manufacturers excise tax on sportfishing equipment and the tax on motorboat fuel, the recreational fishing and boating industries and anglers and boaters, have provided the lion’s share of funding for fisheries conservation and management in this county for well over 60 years providing hundreds of millions of dollars each year to state fishing and boating programs.
The sportfishing industry has a record of supporting science-based fisheries management because our livelihood depends on abundant fish stocks. I strongly believe that responsibly-managed and regulated activities such as recreational fishing deserve the administration’s consideration and incorporation in a national ocean, coasts and Great Lakes management policy.
Providing our citizen’s access to our nation’s public resources is no less important than conserving those resources. Therefore, I urge you to safeguard recreational fishing, one of this nation’s most important outdoor activities now and for generations to come.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Gary Morris
President
Washington State Bass Federation TBF/FLW
360/224-5841
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Permalink Reply by BigBass Dez on
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THANK YOU GARY !
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Permalink Reply by Gary Morris on
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My pleasure Dez!
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