Fighting for 

YOUR FISHING RIGHTS and

THE FUTURE OF RECREATIONAL FISHING

 

FRA NEWS ARCHIVE, by date of publication on the site  
11/6/12
 		  

9/26/12
 SEPARATION DEFEAT BACKLASH: ATTACK ON SOUTHERLAND

NOT ON MY WATCH

There is a horrible assault occurring right now, an assault on the good people who stand up for us.  Follow this link to read an outrageous article by Dean Pruitt, longline boat owner and catch share baron.  Those who know Dean Pruitt would recognize this letter as not being written by Dean.  The verbiage and ideas advanced were more likely crafted by one of the paid lawyers who work for a catch share advocacy group.  		 Dean Pruitt's letter to editor

Dean Pruitt felon article

Legislator contact llist


As an advocate for and a direct beneficiary of a catch share initiative, Mr. Pruitt attempts to mislead readers. Any attempts to paint his past experiences into certainty about political and conservation actions in both the commercial and recreational fisheries should be viewed as guided by his own profit and his sense of entitlement to our public resource at the public’s expense.

For Dean to say anything about the recreational fishery is nearly blasphemous. The “recreational fishermen” he alleges were ignored by Representative Steve Southerland were actually the commercial catch share-owning /  sector-separation advocates trying to take ownership of the public’s remaining commercial and recreational fisheries.  The overwhelming majority of commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, and for hire captains have rejected recreational catch shares and sector separation.  These people were not ignored.  They WERE upset that Steve Southerland would not ‘see it their way’.

Congressman Steve Sutherland is a champion of the recreational and commercial fishermen.  He cares about sound management of our resources.  Congressman Sutherland has had staff members at nearly every Gulf Council meeting for the past year. These staff members observe what goes on with the Gulf Council.  To think that Steve Southerland or any other right thinking person would feel empowered with ‘the God-given right to take any fish they please’ is beyond ludicrous and quite indicative of the methodology of the catch share gang. We cannot stand by an allow this to happen.

 THE RICH GET RICHER WHILE WE GET THE SHAFT

Congress has made it clear that catch share programs are unacceptable.  Congress has defunded them. The Gulf Council, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Dean Pruitt's group and other catch share advocates need to realize this.  Unfortunately, the EDF will not give up.  To figure out why, you simply need to follow the money.  Given that the head of NOAA is Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Catch share advocate and EDF fellow.  Follow the power.  Follow the money.

EDF gets its funding for these programs from investors who stand to benefit from positive outcomes.  In this case, some very wealthy investors have been told that they can earn a 400% return on investment by converting public resources to their own private ownership, complete with the ability to ‘rent’ the resource back to the previous owners (you and me) in perpetuity.

The WalMart family has given a reported $35 million dollars in the past five years to advance catch shares and closed fishing areas.  Imagine having to ‘rent’ from WalMart your right to catch a grouper.

The list of people who push for catch shares is filled with those who are blinded by greed and those who are pushed to the brink of losing their businesses, all blindly doing the bidding of the big investors who are paying for this heist of an American resource.  Thanks, Jane.

COURSE OF ACTION

Instead of pushing catch shares, NOAA/NMFS managers should have fixed the data problem as they were told to do by the National Research Council.  NOAA/NMFS has twice been given the blueprint for replacement of the fatally flawed system and even been mandated by congress to take certain actions, yet this agency thumbs its nose at Congress and the public.  Citing the ‘uncertainty’ created by their own flawed work, NOAA managers knowingly make bad decisions which close fisheries at the expense and to the detriment of the fishing communities and the nation’s general welfare.
 
The FRA supports a sound, multi-faceted data collection program and has been actively involved in the development of a new system.  The commercial course of action includes trip limits, opportunity for entry and getting paid for fishing, combined with marketing of fresh, domestic seafood.  
The problem with these answers is that no individuals get mega-rich at the expense of John Q Public, and our resource remains public.

 WORTH THE EFFORT!  

 Our state and federal legislators know more about fisheries now than ever before because we have brought the issue to the forefront.  Do not be satisfied by this, as we must KEEP our fisheries issues at the forefront, so they may not be again hijacked by private interests.

You need to make a call, send an email or send a letter to your elected officials.  The federal list of officials is on the FRA website.  The upcoming election has sensitized incumbents and candidates alike to the major concerns of the voting public.  IFISH and I VOTE should be your beginning and ending line of every communication you send to your elected officials.

Your message to them:  Thank you for opposing sector separation.  Please hold NMFS/NOAA accountable for their inactions.  Further, please force them to follow a course of action to build an accurate data collection and analysis system for the recreational sector.  15 million saltwater anglers are depending on you.  Whether you can depend on us is up to you.  We are a very loyal bunch who take our right to fish and our right to sound fisheries management very seriously.

The FRA has a fisheries data collection plan that we will be unveiling shortly.  Free from NOAA intervention and foul ups.  What a concept!
 		  

8/27/12
What a long, strange trip it’s been.  Keeping in mind that the cost of freedom is eternal vigilance, we should all pause to ponder and absorb that our actions DO make a difference.  Don’t let your guard down, but you certainly should enjoy the good feeling you get from these two pivotal events.

South Atlantic Red Snapper opening this year!

Sector Separation tabled by Gulf Council

What next?

________________________

SNAPPER TIME in the South Atlantic!!!!

This just in.  Even though it is extremely limited, this is great news.  Special thanks to all who worked so hard to get the attention needed to make this happen!

Good morning:

Today, NOAA Fisheries filed a temporary rule with the Federal Register to to establish management measures to allow for the limited harvest and possession of red snapper in the South Atlantic in 2012, as requested by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The temporary ruled that filed today, and will publish tomorrow, August 28th, provides for the following:

The recreational fishing season will open for two consecutive weekends made up of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The season will open on September 14, 2012, and close on September 17, 2012; then reopens on September 21, 2012, and closes on September 24, 2012. During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper.

The commercial red snapper season opens on September 17, 2012, and closes on September 24, 2012. During the open commercial season, the daily trip limit is 50 pounds gutted weight and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper.

I've attached a copy of the temporary rule, as well as a copy of the Fishery Bulletin that will be sent out later today. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information.



Thank you,

Rob
--
Robert Moller
Congressional Affairs Specialist
Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce

TRANSLATED:
RECREATIONAL FISHING DAYS
Sept 14-16
Sept 21-23
Bag limit one per angler per day, no minimum size

Commercial fishing days
Sept 17 – 23
Daily limit 50 pounds gutted.  No minimum size limit.

NOTE: NOAA cites closing dates at 12:01 AM of the date.  Above dates reflect actual days of fishing. 

 ________________________

SECTOR SEPARATION MOVEMENT HITS A WALL

Gulf Council tables Sector Separation and further expansion of catch shares at the conclusion of its August meeting.

Nearly six years ago, a movement began in earnest to enslave the recreational fishery with catch shares.

The first attempt was boldly titled “Ad hoc recreational red snapper IFQ advisory panel” by the Gulf Council.  Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy, don’t you think?  They changed the title of the panel and ultimately disbanded it after the FRA asked the hard questions at every step.  Not to be defeated by fact, logic, common sense and public opinion, the Gulf Council then created new advisory panels, padded with catch share advocates, in a further attempt to inject catch shares across all fisheries, commercial and recreational.

Throughout the long battle, Environmental Defense Fund and its ‘enviro’ allies spent over $35 million dollars trying to foist this resource theft upon the recreational fisheries.  Wal Mart’s founding family got dragged into the fray.  The players are huge investors and eniro-activists united by a driving force, a common factor: MONEY.  The FRA has fought this movement every step of the way, with very little money.  While it is far from over, there is hope that the forces of evil will be kept in check by the actions of good people.

The persistence and perseverance have paid off.  Thanks to the FRA-driven core group of contributors, the whole evil plan has been exposed.  Everyone now knows NOT to drink the yellow kool aide.  The FRA heavy hitters have been deep in this fight since the first advisory panel meeting.  There have also been some VERY surprising contributions of effort from certain individuals who have nothing to do with the recreational fishery.

Then, there is Congress.  We must all pay attention to what happened in Congress to bring our situation to light and warrant congressional action.  It was every one of YOU who called, emailed, turned out for public input, travelled to Washington and otherwise made your voice heard.  Congress listened and took up our cause.  There is much more to come from Congress.  The fireworks over the Gulf Council’s mismanagement are expected to be bold and beautiful (and somewhat satisfying to those who lit the fuse).

We must focus on the current action of the Gulf Council.  The FRA is pleased that the Council finally exercised the will of the people and followed Magnuson Stevens.  Last Thursday, the Gulf Council voted 11-5 to table Sector Separation and further catch share programs, effectively eliminating further action on these two intertwined issues for at least a year.  We would like to see the idea moved to 'considered but discarded'.

________________________

WHAT NEXT?

We have stopped the madness for now.  Where will the next assault on your fishing rights come from?  What can we do to avert the next assault?  Both good questions.

We need to look at the overall problem and where the cause of the problem lies.  Simply put, the NMFS/NOAA machine has been allowed to ignore Congress when it comes to improving recreational data.  NOAA head Jane Lubchenco has openly defied Congress.  Here agency has failed to follow the recreational data blueprint laid out for it by the National Research Council not once, but twice in the past twelve years. 

We must focus on this critical failure, as every recreational angler is affected by the purposefully flawed data submitted.  Further, NOAA is allowed to multiply their own mistakes through the application of two ‘levels of uncertainty’.  And we all know that Roy Crabtree and NMFS will ALWAYS manage to the lowest level of uncertainty.  This type of blackmail and punitive behavior needs to be stopped.  We need fisheries managers that are fair.  We pay for and deserve sound science and reasonable management measures for our fisheries.

NOAA/NMFS has slipped a noose around the neck of every recreational angler and every commercial fisherman.  Any resistance to NOAA/NMFS causes the hangman to grab the pins and threaten to pull them.  The time has come to cast off the noose and take the hangman to task.  Congress writes the checks.  Congress listens.  Congress can fire Jane Lubchenco and her minions.  Now is the time for some REAL change.

Representative Steve Sutherland of Florida deserves our deepest gratitude.  He has taken our cause to heart and is now being subjected to bullying by way of the Ocean Conservancy and others attempting to sway voters against Steve.  What lows will the enviro groups go to for vengeance?  If the enviros influence Steve’s re-election, it would send a message to other legislators.  Much like when the EDF and others came to steal our fishery, we must stand together in support of Steve Sutherland.  Send him a few bucks and a hearty thank you. Then contact EVERYONE you know in Steve’s district and URGE them to support and vote for Steve.  We must not let our champions go unprotected!

Also special thanks to Florida Representative Gus Bilirakis for his support of the angler’s right to fish.  

What can you do?

Send an email (and a donation) to Steve Sutherland

Send an Email to Gus Bilirakis

Write an email to Gulf Council – Thank you for listening and for your recent action on Sector separation. gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org

Send an email to your legislators. Legislator links and phone numbers

If you live in Clearwater, you should send the City Council an email updating them on the sector separation issue.